Quote:
Originally Posted by clean_polo
What makes Atlanta a world city but those other cities not? Just asking.
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Because Atlanta is the de-facto capital of a world region that functions somewhat like a semi-autonomous country--the American South.
Let me explain further--being a world city is not just about population. If this was the case, many secondary cities in China and India would be "world cities." What matters is the significance a city has in a particular region or country--
is the city the center of things?
This is why cities like Warsaw, Zurich, Sydney, Madrid, Amsterdam, Dublin, Prague, Frankfurt, Auckland, etc. are considered world cities. These cities, for example, are smaller than many, many U.S. cities. But, they each serve as an official or a "de-facto" capital (or they are the "capital" of things international--a la Frankfurt, Zurich, Brussels). When a city is the representative of a region, country, or international entitity/enterprise it is then forced to interplay on the global stage--thus, becoming a global/world city.
This is also why San Francisco has fallen from the Alpha world city designation--Los Angeles has become the "de-facto" capital of the American West--and "capitals" do not and cannot share power.
So, back to Atlanta. Atlanta, along with New York, Chicago, DC, and Los Angeles is a "capital" city.
New York: American Northeast*/World
Washington: United States of America
Chicago: American Midwest
Los Angeles: American West
Atlanta: American South*
I can also see Dallas and Miami emerging as "world cities":
Dallas: Texas/American Southwest
Miami: New Florida*+Caribbean
*Note:
1) The
American South is Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky (without Cincinnati suburbs), South Virginia (Richmond to Charlottesville and points south, plus parts of southern West Virginia), and North Florida (north of Orlando).
2) "New Florida" is often the name given to Central+South Florida by Floridians in North Florida. They say North Florida is the real Florida or just "Florida." North Florida/Old Florida/Florida was settled first (Saint Augustine-Pensacola-Tallahassee).
3. North Virginia is a part of the American Northeast--"North Virginia" is the northern part of present-day Virginia and the northern two-thirds of present-day West Virginia.