Megacities and World cities

• Mega cities are urban areas with a very high population, specifically a population of over 10 million people.
• World cities are cities that have a significant political and economic influence on a global scale. Unlike megacities, they are not defined by their size or population, but by the importance to a world affairs.
• Examples of a world city are New York, Tokyo and London.
• Urban hierarchy

  
• In 1970, only 3 megacities existed. By 2014, the number had increased to 28.
• In comparison to the relative slowing down of urban population growth in HIC's, urbanisation in emer8 economies and LIC's has been growing at an increasing rate. The United Nations forecasts a 1.1 billion increase in urban population by 2030, approximately 95% of the growth is expected to be in LIC's and emerging economies
• China has 19 mega cities, but the highest growth rates in the last decade have been in the medium-sized cities (1-5 million people)
• It is through world cities where the capital, knowledge, expertise and political stability that are many aspects of the global economy are channelled
• The Globalisation and World Cities Research Network (GaWC) have looked att economic interconnectionists of global cities. The most interconnected cities such as London and New York are given the highest rank and are called Alpha cities.