Super Cities vs. Global Unification: Will either replace Nation States?

What is a Super City or Global City?

VANCOUVER is still the most liveable city in the world, according to a new ranking from the Economist Intelligence Unit. The Canadian city topped a "liveability survey" of 140 cities, as it did in 2008.
- - Economist.com (June 8 2009)

Although Vancouver may indeed be the “most liveable” of cities at this point it is far from being a Super City (other top ranked “liveables” are: 2 Vienna, 3 Melbourne, 4 Toronto, 5 shared by Perth and Calgary). Vancouver lacks many of the other factors that make a city super or global in scale, scope and power. As the aircraft carriers of the US Navy give the US projectable power so it seems is the need for “projectability” to gain the title of Super City or its more glamorous cognomen Global City. The question is what are the assets that bequeath such a title and ability upon an urban centre?

In Foreign Policy: The 2008 Global Cities Index Vancouver does not even make the list of top 60 cities. The top five cities of the index are New York, London, Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong. The index measured business activity, human capital, information exchange, cultural experience and political engagement. These cities have projectable global power when all of these dimensions are taken into consideration. They are Super Power Cities but this does not make them “liveable” any more than being “liveable” makes a city “global”.

The same Foreign Policy article answers the question of measuring the level of such cities by also examining such questions as “open cities” including freedoms, technology, and generally being outward looking and not just consumed with inward navel gazing (in other words navel gazing does not assist in emulating naval power projection). Other important factors are the cities majoring as “lifestyle centers”, “regional gateways”, “national leaders”, “policy hubs” and “platform cities” (these are BIG players).

Can such cities rival nation states in power?

As there currently are Super Cities that are more powerful economically and in other dimensions than some nation states perhaps we can move to a deeper exploration from a fascinating article in Foreign Policy with an item named The Next Big Thing: Why bad times lead to great ideas which had a short examination of “Neomedievalism” which postulates:

“Many see the global economic crisis as proof that we live in one world. But as countries stumble to right the wrongs of the corporate masters of the universe, they are driving us right back to a future that looks like nothing more than a new Middle Ages, that centuries-long period of amorphous conflict from the fifth to the 15th century when city-states mattered as much as countries.... Today, just 40 city-regions account for two thirds of the world economy and 90 percent of its innovation.”

Just as the fear mongers predicated their hate of corporations and globalization (along with the idea of global unification) now they will have to possibly switch their targeting acquisition systems! Thus the question…

Super Cities vs. Global Unification: Will either replace Nation States?

For many years as fear of “Big Brother” was propagated and government along with the UN was seen as the enemy of freedom and individuals generating a seeming conflict of libertine anarchy vs. governmental hyper intrusion now some are suggesting nation states could be replaced perhaps to a great degree by Super Cities with global reach and boundary bursting power.

Could it be that with the current financial meltdown where nations and corporations have been hit severely we are now looking for the next deliverer or demon (depending on your orientation)?

In the book Cities by journalist John Lorinc the point is made “The year 2008 marked a watershed moment in the evolution of human society. For the first time in history, more than half of the world’s 6.6 billion inhabitants were living in cities rather than rural areas.”

Is it possible that with the suggested decrease in the power of nations and corporations a corresponding shift in power to urban centres primarily the elite Global Cities in population and power has arrived at a pivotal moment?

Certainly the Middle Ages had Bruges and Venice but are New York and London modern equivalents or perhaps more powerful for their day? It seems the answer is both yes and no. While both modern Super Cities have global reach and influence a large part of their power is exacted by their overarching nation states.

Could it be that these cities acting as regional powers exceed their nations and are potentially in the future more probable governance power outcomes than such nation states and/or a global unified government?

The European Union is made up of various nations of assorted levels of powers. What does this Union put on show for these questions? What do London, Paris and Berlin look like within the Union? Perhaps this example can only explain so much as although the member states are each unique they also share much in shared ideas such as democratic ideals, history etc that binds them together in common cause. It seems the title question of this article may only be answered if we pose the following…

Has the digital age enabled the superseding of nations states and/or the concept of global unification?

In a superb article The Revenge of Geography by Robert D. Kaplan we are reminded of the words of Sir Halford John Mackinder one of the founding fathers of geopolitics “Man not nature initiates, but nature in large measure controls.” Certain pivot or fracture zones are insurmountable geographically speaking. Although humans with their ideas may bend the outcomes of geography and other such natural environs we are still not in control of the superseding delinitations. However Mackinder died just two years after WWII so does his idea stand in the digital age?

New York Times op-ed contributor Thomas Friedman poses the question of a digital world in his brilliant book The World is Flat. He postulates that the global competition is now a largely level playing field. That commerce and individuals now compete in a substantially level global market in access and that history and geography are now in large part increasingly irrelevant. Many see Freidman as a champion of globalization but I suggest that he is a champion of individual freedom and entrepreneurialism through globalization (although at times he does seem pro big government). What does this look like on the scale of a city, nation state or singular global government?

Globally it seems our differences are insurmountable. Even nations such as Canada and Australia have challenges with integrating and cohabiting with immigrants etc although both countries are overall very successful in this area.

Globalization is powerful in that it promotes the potential in integration and cooperation as wealth is grown globally and individually which possibly also facilitates freedom. However global unification seems a far off dream or nightmare. Can you imagine San Francisco and Mecca successfully cohabitating within a globally unified governance model with or without the digital age? Possibly if they are not competing Super Cities and if they are not part of one global government….

Although borders may shift and alliances adapt with the tides of events (such as war over resources like water and oil or even ideology) and time (population plus time seems to indicate a geography crunch) it seems none of these potential outcomes can be totally eliminated as prospective dead ends or success stories.

Kaplan in his article ends with these words “look hard at the map for ingenious ways to stretch the limits it imposes, which will make any support for liberal principles in the world far more effective. Amid the revenge of geography, that is the essence of realism and the crux of wise policymaking—working near the edge of what is possible, without slipping into the precipice.”

Is it possible a hybrid will be the Globally Unified Super City built by ingenious compromise? Compromise can often facilitate a livable common ground but it can also stifle creativity and bold leadership both of which will be needed to step into a healthy future…

Now I recommend we learn the thoughts of my simulblog partner MAX has to say on this topic.