This Discussion Paper draws from three supplemental readings posted
(1) Marcus, P. “Globalization and the Forms of Cities” in World Cities and Urban Form
(2) Marcus, P. “Space in the Globalizing City” in The Global Cities Reader
(3) Marcus, P. and Kemper, R. “Introduction” and “Conclusion” in Globalizing
Cities.
The authors’ thesis is that globalization is leading to “important and visible change, with very significant impacts on cities and the lives of our cities’ people”. These impacts can be seen in “cities as a whole” as well as in “specific aspects of the built environment within cities”. (See “Globalization and the Forms of Cities” for brief discussions about these impacts). Drawing from the ideas presented by the authors and your own experiences, discuss the following:
1. Select two forms of changes in the spatial manifestation of cities addressed by the authors and discuss YOUR understanding of how these changes are impacting the “globalizing cities”. One of the forms of change for your discussion should be selected from the list in Soft Locations (Globalization and the Forms of Cities, p.33).
2. Support your arguments by drawing on the examples from the cities below:
a. Global cities of the Antiquity—Athens, Rome and Constantinople
b. Global cities of the Renaissance and Baroque—Florence and Paris
c. Rio de Janeiro and Brasília, Brazil
d. Hongkong and Beijing, China
e. LONDON: TRANSFORMATION AND METAMORPHOSIS—LIVING WITH THE PAST, LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
f. Berlin: Falling of the wall
3. As you write this paper include YOUR personal observations and reactions to the ideas presented by the authors.