Since the late 1970s the role of key world cities such as Los Angeles, New York and London as centres of global control and co-ordination has come under increasing scrutiny. This book provides an overview and critique of work on the global context of metropolitan growth, world city formation and the theory it has generated. Suggesting 'post-imperialism' as the most appropriate framework for analysis, the author demonstrates the extent to which urban and regional development, both in Britain and elsewhere, were linked to a colonial mode of production, and highlights the effects of its disappearance. Against this background, the author charts the transformation of London from imperial capital in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to world city in the capitalist world economy of today.
Part 1: Cities and the World Economy 1. Introduction: Cities and the World Economy 2. World-City Formation: An Overview of Recent Research 3. World Cities, Colonial Cities: Connections and Comparisons 4. World Cities and Conial Urban Development: Hypotheses and Theories Part 2: Imperial City: World City: Colonial City 5. Dependent Metropolis: Physical and Social Aspects of London's Role in the World Economy
