Jan Nijman

Globalization and the Corporate Geography of Cities in the Less-Developed World

Research on the globalization experience of cities in the less-developed world is sparse. There is a notable gap in the existing literature between theory on global cities and empirical studies of cities in the less-developed world. What is needed is a return to the kinds of intensive fieldwork and primary data collection that were common in “Third World” cities in the 1960s and 1970s—but informed by theory on the changing global political economy. To this end, we present research findings from parallel studies of Accra and Mumbai. These cities were chosen because of their similar political-economic histories and their similar geographic functions as gateways cities in the global economy. A historical theoretical perspective based on the cities’ roles in global political economy is employed to detail important phases in urban evolution in the less-developed world. We concentrate on the changing corporate presence in the two cities as one important manifestation of globalization. Our research focuses on identifying the most salient changes and continuity in the corporate geographies of Accra and Mumbai over time. Our empirical analysis is based on extensive fieldwork conducted locally in both cities. The research findings indicate the emergence of multiple central business districts (CBDs) that are differentially integrated in the wider economy, at local, national, and global scales. We argue that the experiences of Accra and Mumbai are relevant to other cities with a similar history and with a high current exposure to the global economy.

Introduction—Comparative Urbanism

(2007). Introduction—Comparative Urbanism. Urban Geography: Vol. 28, Comparative Urbanism, pp. 1-6.

Cultural globalization and the identity of place: the reconstruction of Amsterdam:

This article discusses the effects of cultural globalization on urban identities, and concentrates on a case study of Amsterdam. The theoretical part of the paper defines cultural globalization and outlines its effects on localities, including the ways in which the images of localities are transformed in the process of global information exchange. It emphasizes the importance of rapidly growing flows of people, in particular in the form of mass tourism, in the deliberate and spontaneous re-identification and changing meaning of places. The empirical part of the paper juxtaposes the historically grown urban identity of Amsterdam since the sixteenth century with the city’s re-created identity of recent decades. It is argued that Amsterdam’s present-day image as a city with very liberal attitudes towards sex and drugs emerged under the influence of global mass tourism, and that it is not as authentic as is often suggested or believed. The discussion concentrates on past and present cultural traits of Amsterdam in the form of Calvinism, commercialism, morality and tolerance.

BREAKING THE RULES: MIAMI IN THE URBAN HIERARCHY

This study examines Miamis position in the urban hierarchy and its development in the context of the process of globalization. Miami is an exceptional city in the sense that it combines a subordinate and peripheral position in the national urban system with a prominent international position. Miamis international role is examined in relation to the process of globalization and in the context of the world-city literature. This literature is criticized for its exclusive economic and functionalistic focus, and the concept of Weltstadt is introduced to broaden understanding of the role of cities in the process of globalization. Miami is used as an illustration of a city that is highly internationalized and exposed to globalizing forces but which lacks a powerful command function in the international economy.

Globalization to a Latin Beat: The Miami Growth Machine

Miamis globalization is accompanied by a restructuring of the citys political economy and the emergence of a powerful growth machine. After the shock caused by massive Latino immigration wore off, the old business elite combined forces with the new Hispanic (Cuban) elite and capitalized on Miamis international economic opportunities. Miamis experience illustrates the materialist imperatives of globalization and its unplanned social consequences. The benefits of economic growth are not equally distributed, and there are notable discrepancies along ethnic lines. The growth machine generates local narratives that emphasize the values of multiculturalism, but Miamis civic society has become fragmented and fragile. As an extreme example of a globalized city, Miami offers a glimpse of the fate of urban civilization in the global era.

India's Urban Challenge

In the past decade, Indias development has featured rapid economic growth and unprecedented urbanization. Using preliminary results from the 2011 Census and recent macro-economic data, the paper by a noted EU-based specialist analyzes the relationship between urbanization and economic development in India. While urbanization is very substantial in absolute terms, the rate of growth is low. Labor-intensive industrialization, too, is slow and urbanization seems to derive primarily from natural increase and poverty-driven migration from rural areas. Indias major economic advances seem relatively isolated from the rest of the economy and this is reflected in the persistent dual and hybrid nature of the countrys cities, the sustainability of which remains in question.

Historical Changes in U.S. and Japanese Foreign Aid to the Asia–Pacific Region

This study examines responses of the worlds two largest foreign-aid donors, the U.S. and Japan, to the end of the Cold War. Using the Asia-Pacific region to assess changes in U.S. and Japanese aid policies, the analysis compares the rhetoric and discourses evident in policy documents with actual aid disbursements to the region before and after the Cold War. In the early days of the post-Cold War, the U.S. refocused aid discourse from geopolitics toward “sustainable development” and “democratization,” but these goals are now challenged by an aid-fatigued and Republican-dominated Congress. By contrast, Japanese support for aid remains strong. The declared purpose of Japanese aid has been broadened beyond their Cold War commercial orientation toward global goals. In terms of disbursements to the region, the U.S. and Japan have responded in opposite ways. While the Japanese are increasing their presence in the region, the U.S. is disengaging, and the gap between the two is increasing over time. The Japanese ...

India’s Urban Future: Views From the Slum

About 32% of the Indian population presently resides in towns and cities, and national and state governments are intent on increasing that number. Based on the past experience of most of the developed world, urbanization is considered integral to modernization and progress. However, India’s urbanization rate is particularly low and this is partly related to the country’s low level of industrialization. At the same time, urban slums have expanded and their populations have increased despite successive policies aimed at slum eradication or rehabilitation. This study aims to connect macro trends in urbanization and the space economy with a finer scale analysis of the logic of slums and slum dweller views in order to consider the future of India’s cities. Most of the data presented here are based on extensive surveys of households and firms in Dharavi (Mumbai) that investigated work, well-being, livelihoods, community, and environmental issues. It is argued that slums may well be a structural feature of India’s modern urban landscape given India’s enormous challenge of creating significant employment opportunities in modern industries. Furthermore, urban slum environments, with all their shortcomings and challenges, may be conducive to small-scale, labor-intensive productive activity and provide relatively secure livelihoods.

The VOC and the expansion of the world-system 1602–1799

Abstract This article discusses the role of the Dutch East India Company (the VOC) in the evolving structures of the early world-system, from 1602 to 1799. Its aims are threefold. First, it intends to clarify the importance of the role of agency—as opposed to structure—in the modern world-system. Second, it illustrates the intricate interrelationship between economic and political logics in the evolving world-system by focusing on the companys strategies in Europe and Asia. And, third, it emphasizes the importance of historical and geographical contexts in the world-system. The VOC is sometimes considered to have been the first transnational company in the world. In terms of size and longevity, few other agencies played a comparable role in the world-system since its emergence some 500 years ago. The company played an innovative role in corporate organization, helped forge important links between European and Asian regional economies and intensified economic integration in Asia. In the course of the 18th century, the company was surpassed by British competition. The article discusses possible explanations for the companys rise and decline by concentrating on its political and economic strategies in relation to the changing environments in the world-system.

The Theoretical Imperative of Comparative Urbanism: A Commentary on ‘Cities beyond Compare?’ by Jamie Peck

I am writing this commentary in Amsterdam. It could have been Miami, or Mumbai, and it most probably would have turned out the same. Having spent considerable time in these three places has, I thin...