Detroit's World City Status Upgraded

[wolverine]

Saw these charts recently circulating the net. Detroit was a gamma city, it's now Beta -


Source GaWC

[Orthophonic]

I am drawing a blank on this. Can you explain what the ratings mean? Thanks.

[Detroit Stylin]

That is indeed interesting...

[wolverine]

I am drawing a blank on this. Can you explain what the ratings mean? Thanks.

To put it simply [[and crudely) it's a city's relevance in the world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_city

[urbanhat]

Detroit now outranks Zagreb, awesome. I wonder what changed?

[detroitsgwenivere]

The level of ruin porn probably.

[Patrick]

7th tier baby!

[Orthophonic]

I'm not convinced that Chicago is "Alpha +" - overpriced & overrated in my book. But I could be wrong, as I was once or twice before.

[dtowncitylover]

I'm honored....above Phoenix, Marseille, Lyon, Charlotte...wow ok then....

[wolverine]

I'm not convinced that Chicago is "Alpha +" - overpriced & overrated in my book. But I could be wrong, as I was once or twice before.

How is it overpriced? I live downtown and my yearly expenditures are way down from what they were when I lived in Michigan. Compared to the other cities at the top of the list Chicago is a very affordable place to live for what you receive.

[Orthophonic]

How is it overpriced? I live downtown and my yearly expenditures are way down from what they were when I lived in Michigan. Compared to the other cities at the top of the list Chicago is a very affordable place to live for what you receive.

I am only speaking as an infrequent visitor. Gas, food [[i.e., the basics) in my limited experience seemed too high. And don't get me started on the toll roads. However, I am glad you have found it to be affordable.

[English]

As soon as I saw this thread, I started rapping...

"He got that ambition, baby!
Look at his eyes!
This week he's moppin' floors, next week it's the fries!"

LOL! It just reminded me of "Golddigger" and Louie Anderson's scene in *Coming to America...*

[GoGrixdale]

The ratings represent the intensive globalization ranking of cities.

The research was done by these guys:
http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/

...and I learned a new word 'HinterWorld'.

[wolverine]

I am only speaking as an infrequent visitor. Gas, food [[i.e., the basics) in my limited experience seemed too high. And don't get me started on the toll roads. However, I am glad you have found it to be affordable.

Oh well I agree then, the toll roads are literally highway robbery.

[p1acebo]

How is it overpriced? I live downtown and my yearly expenditures are way down from what they were when I lived in Michigan. Compared to the other cities at the top of the list Chicago is a very affordable place to live for what you receive.

Chicago is definitely more expensive than Metro Detroit, I don't know where you were living in Michigan so I don't know if it's comparable. However, I have several friends that live in Chicago and I myself have looked at a few places and compared to something equivalent in metro Detroit, Chicago was more expensive. Now, compared to LA, Miami, New York, I bet Chicago has great deals with comparable places.

[noise]

Oh well I agree then, the toll roads are literally highway robbery.

The $100 I just paid to park my car for 3 days was a little unpleasant, as well.

[BrushStart]

I did a comprehensive thread on this exact topic a few months ago, applying the factors to Detroit.

Needless to say, I'm very happy about this upgrade. It is well-deserved in my opinion. Detroit is a major world city with a lot of influence on world affairs.

Also, IMO, Chicago is a top-tier global city. It is incredibly powerful, but it needs to be careful not fall from grace.

[Gsgeorge]

Minneapolis beat us?

[Gistok]

Minneapolis beat us?

I find these "lists" very subjective... it lists Frankfurt Germany [[Pop. 620,000... less than Detroit) as an Alpha city. Granted it is the transportation and banking center of Germany... but in the way of culture [[museums, sights, culture) it is far below Berlin and Munich. And yet Berlin [[Pop. 3.5 million) is a Beta City... as is Rome.... WTF??

[Steve bennet]

Lol @ Detroit being ranked better than Pittsburgh.

[Steve bennet]

And Austin. I'm sure people in Austin wish they lived in Detroit.

[cramerro]

... not to be confused with "Top Places to Live" ratings. The Global City ranking [[see Wikipedia link above) is about "an important node point in the global economic system." Based on those nine words alone, the rankings list becomes much more sensical. Detroit is more important than Austin and Pittsburgh. Chicago is high up there, if you think about it's role in domestic and international commerce [[but I agree it could fall from grace if not careful).

Factors focus on number of Fortune 500 HQ's, size and useage of the airport[[s), industrial infrastructure and jobs, freight facilities... not how much you have to pay to park, what the rent is, or what the population of the city proper may be. There are plenty of other lists like those to put Detroit in its place

[iheartthed]

This list is basically just a measure of how much a city resembles London. But the rankings look a bit different for a number of cities from last year, which calls into question the criteria that they use to measure a city. Over the past year, what has changed about Detroit in relation to the rest of the world to move it up by three tiers?

[Hermod]

This list is basically just a measure of how much a city resembles London. But the rankings look a bit different for a number of cities from last year, which calls into question the criteria that they use to measure a city. Over the past year, what has changed about Detroit in relation to the rest of the world to move it up by three tiers?

Dunno, maybe more people using DTW to transfer from one Delta flight to another.

[corktownyuppie]

It kinda makes sense when you figure that 3 years ago, the Big 3 were flirting with [[or in) bankruptcy....combined with increased university attendance and application numbers...and yes, more Delta transfers at DTW