Global Cities

The concept of ‘Global city’ or ‘World City’ has widely been used in past by various southern countries including China to achieve the set goals for their economic development. The term involves the vigorous participation of cities in the economic activities of the country. Under the concept of “Global cities”, the cities are empowered and strengthened enough to broaden their manufacturing horizons on their own, they become able to market their outputs and earn capital to finance industrial infrastructure and services. This process of making cities globalized also prevents brain drain and frustration among the youth for not finding jobs appropriate to their qualifications.

In China this term was used in 21st century during the developmental phase of converting Shanghai into an international Market hub. A city developed under this ideology encompassed a highly expanded investment environment that led to overall economic and social development of China. Shanghai is located on the east coast of China, at the mouth of the Yangtze River, the longest river in the country. It is one of four Chinese cities that are ranked at the highest-level classification ‘direct-controlled municipalities’. The other three cities are Beijing, Tianjin and Chongqing. Shanghai evolved into a major trading port in the mid-nineteenth century. This key position led to it becoming a significant crossroads between East and West. With the influx of European, particularly French, influence it became known as the ‘Paris of the East’.

The concept of Global Cities on the pattern of Shanghai should be established in the four provinces of Pakistan. Pakistan is getting entrance into international markets and becoming a preferred country for foreign investors so there is a dire need to initialize the concept of establishing “Global City” or ‘World City’ which would eventually bring industrial revolution in the country.

China is planning to create the world's biggest mega city by merging nine cities to create a metropolis twice the size of Wales with a population of 42 million. City planners in south China have laid out an ambitious plan to merge together the nine cities that lie around the Pearl River Delta. The "Turn the Pearl River Delta into One" scheme will create a 16,000 sq mile urban area that is 26 times larger geographically than Greater London, or twice the size of Wales.

The new mega-city will cover a large part of China's manufacturing heartland, stretching from Guangzhou to Shenzhen and including Foshan, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Zhuhai, Jiangmen, Huizhou and Zhaoqing. Together, they account for nearly a tenth of the Chinese economy.

Over the next six years, around 150 major infrastructure projects will mesh the transport, energy, water and telecommunications networks of the nine cities together, at a cost of some 2 trillion Yuan (£190 billion). An express rail line will also connect the hub with nearby Hong Kong.

"The idea is that when the cities are integrated, the residents can travel around freely and use the health care and other facilities in the different areas.

While globalizing the economies, local cities play important role as the global capital and global migrants are resided there at metropolises. In Pakistan the cities, famous for specialized products such as Sialkot, Faisalabad, Wazirabad, Gujranwala, Chiniot have great potential to be turned as Global Cities.

Pakistan should develop integrated industrial estates and Industrial parks in a number of regions throughout the country by providing special incentives, infrastructure facilities, security and the energy. If implemented in the spirit would promote a bolstered manufacturing sector in specialized areas, which would allow Pakistan to lessen its reliance on imports and create abundant opportunities for employment.