Hello. Halo. こんにちは. Bonjour. Grab your passport to the globe. It is time to embark on a global city adventure, where the flow of ideas and commerce knows no borders. What is a global city? We are glad you asked! 
 

A view of  Jakarta. Source: Jakarta Smart City

A global city is a city that excels competitively and stands out in the global economic arena. The paradigm of the global city  started in the 1980s. It became known by the examination of world’s important cities by John Friedmann and Saskia Sassen. This emerged in the process of globalisation, leading these world cities to becoming known as global cities.

The Institute for Urban Strategies  says that the evaluation of global cities is done by GPCI (Global Power City Index). It ranks them by their power over the world. So, what are considered global cities? What makes them global cities? Is Jakarta a part of these cities? Come find out below!

Global Cities Around the World

Do you somehow have a “dream city”? Chances are it is one of the examples of a global city. That city may have its own magnetism and the ability to attract people. As of 2023, GPCI  have reported on the overall strength of major or global cities in the world. Here is the summary.

Top global cities as of 2023. Source: GPCI

London: Post-Pandemic Comeback

London’s Cultural Interaction in Number of Foreign Visitors was amongst the global city indicators that rose. The Covid-19  pandemic made a profound impact on various aspects. London, as the capital city of England, happened to be one of the cities that experienced it. Fortunately, they recovered and made a significant comeback in 2023 as their global city indicator scores rose. According to World Cities Culture Forum, London has a diversity in their population. It is stated that 37% of Londoners were actually born outside the United Kingdom. 

Accessibility in London’s Number of Air Passengers also increased as one of the global city indicators. In 2023, the UK Civil Aviation Authority  reported that the vast majority of UK airports were performing well. Airports such as Aberdeen, Belfast International, Belfast City, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, London City, and Newcastle managed to handle  more than 1 million passengers throughout 2023. 
 

New York: Where the Workaholics Are

“What’s good in New York?” “Everything,” they said. You have probably seen this thing from photographs: a green woman wearing a crown, lifting a torch, and clutching a tablet on her side. Yes, that is the Statue of Liberty, located in New York. Being in the heart of the United States, New York could be a testament to relentless ambition. GPCI declared that New York’s Economy in Nominal GDP (Gross Domestic Product), Stock Market Capitalization, and Wage Level ranked highest amongst all. 

New York  defines themselves as the “home to a wide range of industries”. With a global perspective, their markets are crafted to address the constantly changing needs of the world. The growth of tech companies like Samsung, Google, Facebook, and Amazon in New York is happening rapidly.
 

Tokyo: A Livable City

Mount Fuji, Shinkansen, Harajuku, anime, and sushi. How many of those are you familiar with already? Yes, these are some of the objects that paint a vivid portrait of Japan. 

On the eastern coast of Japan's Honshu Island, Tokyo nestles as the capital city. It is full with 13 million people, vibrant for the culture, technology, and bustling streets. 2023 was the year where Tokyo’s Livability improved. This is shown in the increase of their Cost of Living and Cultural Interaction scores. According to GPCI, this happened thanks to a weaker yen as their currency.
 

Paris: Welcoming All, Everyone’s Destination

Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité. If translated to English, this phraseliterally means “liberty, equality, fraternity”. Being France’s motto, you can see it written on the buildings of Paris. World Cities Culture Forum  calls this city as a hub for fashion, heritage, and creativity. This makes a lot of sense, considering that GPCI ranks Paris #4 as a global city in 2023 .

Paris’ Accessibility in Number of Air Passengers got better as of 2023. This is also proven by Euromonitor International’s report on Top 100 City Destinations for 2023, placing Paris in first place. This is just in time as the city is preparing to be the host for 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Singapore: A Mighty Little City

Singapore is the capital city of the Republic of Singapore. Being only 275 square miles, it is located in Southeast Asia. The nation itself is considered as a city-state. What does a city-stateeven mean? It means the country is independent, consists of a city, and fully governs itself. 

In 2023, the Economy in Wage Level of Singapore raised its score. GPCI reported that Singapore renewed its strength after the pandemic, just like London. This is also visible in the increase score for Cultural Interaction in Number of Foreign Visitors and Accessibility in Number of Air Passengers. Geographically, Singapore is located at major sea lanes. This is why it has successful ports.
 

Is Jakarta One of the Global Cities?

It is inspiring to take a peek at these global cities. Each city has its own unique character and keeps shaping the world in various ways. Now, let’s turn our attention to our own city, Jakarta. Can we describe ourselves as a global city?

Jakarta is aiming to reach the global level as a city, following the footsteps of the other global cities. Its evolution has definitely started, with Jakarta Smart City leading the way.

Jakarta will continue its role as a centre for the economy, business, cultural melting pot and technological development. To achieve the global status, Jakarta Provincial Government focuses on three core points: 

• Livability: aspects of housing to health for residents;
• Environment: waste, sanitation and wastewater processing facilities; and
• Accessibility: aspects of the development of public transportation and road networks.
   

Jakarta, a smart global city. Source: Jakarta Smart City

Existing global cities needed quite some time–even more than half a century–to achieve their prosperity. So, Jakarta is positive to catch up with them with the amount of time we have now. 

The future is looking really bright for us. As individuals, can we get involved? Definitely! By aligning your efforts with Jakarta's goals, you can make a meaningful contribution towards becoming a global city. Please follow @jsclab  to keep an eye on Jakarta and its innovations.

Also read:

• Establishing Jakarta as a Global City
• Jakarta Smart City Forum 2023: Jakarta’s Spirit as a Global City