Which city is this?
London
Sydney
1,572 km²
12,368 km²
10 million pop in 2019
5,1 million pop in 2019
How many inhabitants has Sydney? Compare it with London
Where is located Sydney in Australia?
Pacific Ocean
Learning question: Is Sydney a global city?
- To understand Sydney's assets
- 1) Using documents 1, 2 and 3, identify and describe the assets that Sydney values to be a global city.
Doc.1 : Tourism, a key activity Welcoming nearly 5 million international tourists in 2018, the tourism generated 5% of the wealth produced by the city, notably because of emblematic places :
Doc. 2 : A polycentric city with many assets
Source: textbook of geography Hachette 1ère, 2019 Map key translated
Doc.3 : Sydney in GAWC and GPCI’s rankings : A number of organisations around the world have developed their own rankings that measure cities across a diverse range of social, economic, environmental and cultural indicators. Arguably, some rankings attempt to quantify cities in terms of their global status and influence, which provides us with an alternative understanding of how Sydney is positioned against other cities around the world.
Next page are the rankings from GaWC (Loughborough University) and GPCI (Insitute for Urban Strategies – The Mori Memorial foundation)
Doc.3-a : Globalisation and World Cities (GaWC Research Network), Loughborough University, 2020
2010
2018
2020
Rank
City
Category
Rank
City
Category
Rank
City
Category
London
Alpha ++
London
Alpha ++
London
Alpha ++
New York
Alpha ++
New York
Alpha ++
New York
Alpha ++
Hong Kong
Alpha +
Hong Kong
Alpha +
Hong Kong
Alpha +
Paris
Alpha +
Beijing
Alpha +
Singapore
Alpha +
Singapore
Alpha +
Singapore
Alpha +
Shanghai
Alpha +
Tokyo
Alpha +
Shanghai
Alpha +
Beijing
Alpha +
Shanghai
Alpha +
Sydney
Alpha +
Dubai
Alpha +
Chicago
Alpha +
Paris
Alpha +
Paris
Alpha +
Dubai
Alpha +
Duabi
Alpha +
Tokyo
Alpha +
10
Sydney
Alpha +
10
Tokyo
Alpha +
10
Sydney
Alpha
11
Milan
Alpha
11
Milan
Alpha
11
Los Angeles
Alpha
12
Beijing
Alpha
12
Chicago
Alpha
12
Toronto
Alpha
13
Toronto
Alpha
13
Moscow
Alpha
13
Mumbai
Alpha
14
Sao Paulo
Alpha
14
Toronto
Alpha
14
Amsterdam
Alpha
15
Madrid
Alpha
15
Sao Paolo
Alpha
15
Milan
Alpha
https://www.lboro.ac.uk/microsites/geography/gawc/world2020t.html
Doc.3-b : The Global City Power Index
Global City Power Index from Mori Memorial Foundation
2019
2022
1. London
1. London
2. New York
2. New York
3. Tokyo
3. Tokyo
4. Paris
4. Paris
5. Singapore
5. Singapore
6. Amsterdam
6. Amsterdam
7. Seoul
7. Seoul
8. Berlin
8. Berlin
9. Hong Kong
9. Melbourne (+2)
10. Sydney
10. Shanghai (+20)
11. Melbourne
11. Dubai (+8)
12. Los Angeles
12. Madrid (+1)
13. Madrid
13. Sydney (-3)
14. Stockholm
14. Copenhagen (+6)
15. Zurich
15. Vienna (+ ?)
Source : GPCI 2019 (https://mori-m-foundation.or.jp/english/ius2/gpci2/2019.shtml ), GPCI 2022(https://mori-m-foundation.or.jp/english/ius2/gpci2/index.shtml )
Photo via Global Power City Index 2022 https://mori-m-foundation.or.jp/english/ius2/gpci2/index.shtml
II) To measure the challenges of global competition
- 2) What are Sydney’s disadvantages in the competition between the world's major metropolises? (docs. 4 and 5)
- 3) Why did the article argue that Sydney was not a global city (doc.5)?
Sydney in GPCI’s rankings : A number of organisations around the world have developed their own rankings that measure cities across a diverse range of social, economic, environmental and cultural indicators. Arguably, some rankings attempt to quantify cities in terms of their global status and influence, which provides us with an alternative understanding of how Sydney is positioned against other cities around the world.
Next page is the ranking from GPCI (Insitute for Urban Strategies – The Mori Memorial foundation)
Doc.3-b : The Global City Power Index
Global City Power Index from Mori Memorial Foundation
2019
2022
1. London
1. London
2. New York
2. New York
3. Tokyo
3. Tokyo
4. Paris
4. Paris
5. Singapore
5. Singapore
6. Amsterdam
6. Amsterdam
7. Seoul
7. Seoul
8. Berlin
8. Berlin
9. Hong Kong
9. Melbourne (+2)
10. Sydney
10. Shanghai (+20)
11. Melbourne
11. Dubai (+8)
12. Los Angeles
12. Madrid (+1)
13. Madrid
13. Sydney (-3)
14. Stockholm
14. Copenhagen (+6)
15. Zurich
15. Vienna (+ ?)
Source : GPCI 2019 (https://mori-m-foundation.or.jp/english/ius2/gpci2/2019.shtml ), GPCI 2022(https://mori-m-foundation.or.jp/english/ius2/gpci2/index.shtml )
Photo via Global Power City Index 2022 https://mori-m-foundation.or.jp/english/ius2/gpci2/index.shtml
Distance between five world metropolises in km (in time)
London
Los Angeles
8 800 (11h20)
New York
5 580 (7h25)
4 000 (5h20)
Shanghai
9 200 (12h00)
10 450 (13h30)
11 850 (15h15)
Sydney
17 000 (21h30)
12 400 (16h30)
16 000 (21h10)
7 850 (10h30)
London
Los Angeles
New York
Shanghai
Sydney
- Source: distancede.com, 2023
April 12th 2014
Doc.5 : Sydney not yet a true global city
By Matt Wade
- It has become fashionable to label Sydney a global city – a dynamic urban gateway to the Asia-Pacific. Premier Barry O’Farrell even describes Sydney as “Australia’s only global city”. But do we really live up to that tag?
- […] Sydney has some glaring weaknesses for a city of global status. Greg Clark, a renowned British urbanist who has advised more than 30 cities on five continents, has identified at least three.
- First, Sydney has “second-tier” city infrastructure that clashes with its global city economic profile.
- “Sydney is already hosting more in terms of business, economic and commercial activity than its infrastructure can really sustain,” Clark told a seminar held by the Committee for Sydney policy and advocacy group on Friday. “There’s limited room for growth because of those infrastructure shortcomings.” Sydney has a very high level of car dependency by world city standards and a low level of mass transit coverage. The lack of an effective, city-wide public transport system threatens to stunt Sydney’s knowledge-intensive industries which are increasingly the life-blood of the city’s economy.
- “Sydney’s transport system diminishes the chances of creative interaction between people and makes it difficult for businesses to open up new sites to open up new capacity,” Clark said.
- This analysis exposes the fundamental weaknesses in Sydney’s public transport system and the need for massive investments to improve it. “You can’t name a successful global city that doesn't have a good public transport system.”
- Second, Sydney is relatively small and very sparsely populated compared with cities that merit the "global" tag. Its population density is only about 40 per cent that of London and 20 per cent that of New York and Singapore. Clark pointed out that Sydney’s population density –2,000 per square kilometre – is comparable to that of Los Angeles, a city that has been falling on global city indexes. The low-density sprawl is stifling Sydney’s growth by reducing productivity and innovation.
- The city would need more people and higher population density if it wanted to be “a city of real significance in the Asia-Pacific”, said Clark.
- Third, Sydney lacks the innovation culture of a genuine global city. Clark said Sydney had half the high-tech employment of Toronto, Stockholm, London or Seattle and ranked “well outside the top ten” for research and development.
- “I draw the conclusion,” said Clark. “that Sydney has superb assets and a wonderful opportunity to combine corporate success with liveability success, the fundamental problem has to do with gaps in infrastructure and the innovation system.”
- Not matter what our politicians say about Sydney, they've got a lot of work to do before they can genuinely claim it's a global city.
III) To synthesize the arguments of the debate by organizing them:
- Is Sydney a global city?
- Task 1: Examine each of the statements below.
- Task 2: You need to then identify which of the global city criteria the statement relates to. Write this in the middle column.
- Task 3: For each statement, consider if it adds suggests that Sydney is a global city. Add “Y” if it does, “N” if it does not.
Complete your worksheet
Complete your worksheet
Statement
Global City Criteria Concerned (Economic, Political, Cultural, Infrastructural and accessibility)
Global City Y/N
The population of Sydney is 5,1 million. It is not yet a ‘megacity’.
45 of the 47 international banks that operate in Australia are found in Sydney.
Sydney does not have a city-wide public transport system. 70% of the population rely on cars.
The rate of economic growth in Sydney is very low. Over 150 cities in the world are growing at a faster rate.
Out of all the international companies in Australia, 65% are in Sydney.
The infrastructure which supports business is not developed enough to allow fast economic growth.
One third of Sydney’s population speak a language other than English at home.
Sydney airport flies to 46 international destinations. London Heathrow flies to 170.
Sydney is located a long way from the places it trades with.
Many of the multinational companies which are located in Sydney tend to be involved in local activities rather than make decisions of global importance.
Sydney’s time zone allows it to do business with Asia and the USA during normal daylight working hours
Sydney is one of the most multicultural cities in the world.
Sydney is often seen as a place to visit on holiday and not a place to do business.
The infrastructure which exists to support business is high standard.
Sydney is home to all the Australian television broadcasters and has world class advertising and animation industries.
Sydney is considered to be one of the best cities in the world for quality of life.
60% of the regional headquarters of companies that operate in the Asia-Pacific region are located in Sydney.
The level of employment in innovative hightech industries is lower than in many other cities.
Almost 3 million international tourists visit Sydney each year. It is the 42nd most visited city in the world.
Sydney is the most popular city for international students. Its universities have over 50,000 international students.
IV) Let’s debate!
- In 2014 the Sydney Morning Herald had a section with the following headline: “Sydney not yet a true global city”. Is this statement still true? Use evidence from the table above and your previous answers to explain your view : Is Sydney a global city or Is Sydney a peripheral metropolis ?
So is Sydney a global city or not?
Is Sydney a global city?
Wendy Hons
Created on May 3, 2023
Débat argumenté_géographie_1ère
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Transcript
Which city is this?
London
Sydney
1,572 km²
12,368 km²
10 million pop in 2019
5,1 million pop in 2019
How many inhabitants has Sydney? Compare it with London
Where is located Sydney in Australia?
Pacific Ocean
Learning question: Is Sydney a global city?
Doc.1 : Tourism, a key activity Welcoming nearly 5 million international tourists in 2018, the tourism generated 5% of the wealth produced by the city, notably because of emblematic places :
Doc. 2 : A polycentric city with many assets
Source: textbook of geography Hachette 1ère, 2019 Map key translated
Doc.3 : Sydney in GAWC and GPCI’s rankings : A number of organisations around the world have developed their own rankings that measure cities across a diverse range of social, economic, environmental and cultural indicators. Arguably, some rankings attempt to quantify cities in terms of their global status and influence, which provides us with an alternative understanding of how Sydney is positioned against other cities around the world. Next page are the rankings from GaWC (Loughborough University) and GPCI (Insitute for Urban Strategies – The Mori Memorial foundation)
Doc.3-a : Globalisation and World Cities (GaWC Research Network), Loughborough University, 2020
2010
2018
2020
Rank
City
Category
Rank
City
Category
Rank
City
Category
London
Alpha ++
London
Alpha ++
London
Alpha ++
New York
Alpha ++
New York
Alpha ++
New York
Alpha ++
Hong Kong
Alpha +
Hong Kong
Alpha +
Hong Kong
Alpha +
Paris
Alpha +
Beijing
Alpha +
Singapore
Alpha +
Singapore
Alpha +
Singapore
Alpha +
Shanghai
Alpha +
Tokyo
Alpha +
Shanghai
Alpha +
Beijing
Alpha +
Shanghai
Alpha +
Sydney
Alpha +
Dubai
Alpha +
Chicago
Alpha +
Paris
Alpha +
Paris
Alpha +
Dubai
Alpha +
Duabi
Alpha +
Tokyo
Alpha +
10
Sydney
Alpha +
10
Tokyo
Alpha +
10
Sydney
Alpha
11
Milan
Alpha
11
Milan
Alpha
11
Los Angeles
Alpha
12
Beijing
Alpha
12
Chicago
Alpha
12
Toronto
Alpha
13
Toronto
Alpha
13
Moscow
Alpha
13
Mumbai
Alpha
14
Sao Paulo
Alpha
14
Toronto
Alpha
14
Amsterdam
Alpha
15
Madrid
Alpha
15
Sao Paolo
Alpha
15
Milan
Alpha
https://www.lboro.ac.uk/microsites/geography/gawc/world2020t.html
Doc.3-b : The Global City Power Index
Global City Power Index from Mori Memorial Foundation
2019
2022
1. London
1. London
2. New York
2. New York
3. Tokyo
3. Tokyo
4. Paris
4. Paris
5. Singapore
5. Singapore
6. Amsterdam
6. Amsterdam
7. Seoul
7. Seoul
8. Berlin
8. Berlin
9. Hong Kong
9. Melbourne (+2)
10. Sydney
10. Shanghai (+20)
11. Melbourne
11. Dubai (+8)
12. Los Angeles
12. Madrid (+1)
13. Madrid
13. Sydney (-3)
14. Stockholm
14. Copenhagen (+6)
15. Zurich
15. Vienna (+ ?)
Source : GPCI 2019 (https://mori-m-foundation.or.jp/english/ius2/gpci2/2019.shtml ), GPCI 2022(https://mori-m-foundation.or.jp/english/ius2/gpci2/index.shtml )
Photo via Global Power City Index 2022 https://mori-m-foundation.or.jp/english/ius2/gpci2/index.shtml
II) To measure the challenges of global competition
Sydney in GPCI’s rankings : A number of organisations around the world have developed their own rankings that measure cities across a diverse range of social, economic, environmental and cultural indicators. Arguably, some rankings attempt to quantify cities in terms of their global status and influence, which provides us with an alternative understanding of how Sydney is positioned against other cities around the world. Next page is the ranking from GPCI (Insitute for Urban Strategies – The Mori Memorial foundation)
Doc.3-b : The Global City Power Index
Global City Power Index from Mori Memorial Foundation
2019
2022
1. London
1. London
2. New York
2. New York
3. Tokyo
3. Tokyo
4. Paris
4. Paris
5. Singapore
5. Singapore
6. Amsterdam
6. Amsterdam
7. Seoul
7. Seoul
8. Berlin
8. Berlin
9. Hong Kong
9. Melbourne (+2)
10. Sydney
10. Shanghai (+20)
11. Melbourne
11. Dubai (+8)
12. Los Angeles
12. Madrid (+1)
13. Madrid
13. Sydney (-3)
14. Stockholm
14. Copenhagen (+6)
15. Zurich
15. Vienna (+ ?)
Source : GPCI 2019 (https://mori-m-foundation.or.jp/english/ius2/gpci2/2019.shtml ), GPCI 2022(https://mori-m-foundation.or.jp/english/ius2/gpci2/index.shtml )
Photo via Global Power City Index 2022 https://mori-m-foundation.or.jp/english/ius2/gpci2/index.shtml
Distance between five world metropolises in km (in time)
London
Los Angeles
8 800 (11h20)
New York
5 580 (7h25)
4 000 (5h20)
Shanghai
9 200 (12h00)
10 450 (13h30)
11 850 (15h15)
Sydney
17 000 (21h30)
12 400 (16h30)
16 000 (21h10)
7 850 (10h30)
London
Los Angeles
New York
Shanghai
Sydney
April 12th 2014
Doc.5 : Sydney not yet a true global city
By Matt Wade
III) To synthesize the arguments of the debate by organizing them:
Complete your worksheet
Complete your worksheet
Statement
Global City Criteria Concerned (Economic, Political, Cultural, Infrastructural and accessibility)
Global City Y/N
The population of Sydney is 5,1 million. It is not yet a ‘megacity’.
45 of the 47 international banks that operate in Australia are found in Sydney.
Sydney does not have a city-wide public transport system. 70% of the population rely on cars.
The rate of economic growth in Sydney is very low. Over 150 cities in the world are growing at a faster rate.
Out of all the international companies in Australia, 65% are in Sydney.
The infrastructure which supports business is not developed enough to allow fast economic growth.
One third of Sydney’s population speak a language other than English at home.
Sydney airport flies to 46 international destinations. London Heathrow flies to 170.
Sydney is located a long way from the places it trades with.
Many of the multinational companies which are located in Sydney tend to be involved in local activities rather than make decisions of global importance.
Sydney’s time zone allows it to do business with Asia and the USA during normal daylight working hours
Sydney is one of the most multicultural cities in the world.
Sydney is often seen as a place to visit on holiday and not a place to do business.
The infrastructure which exists to support business is high standard.
Sydney is home to all the Australian television broadcasters and has world class advertising and animation industries.
Sydney is considered to be one of the best cities in the world for quality of life.
60% of the regional headquarters of companies that operate in the Asia-Pacific region are located in Sydney.
The level of employment in innovative hightech industries is lower than in many other cities.
Almost 3 million international tourists visit Sydney each year. It is the 42nd most visited city in the world.
Sydney is the most popular city for international students. Its universities have over 50,000 international students.
IV) Let’s debate!
So is Sydney a global city or not?