The Global City and Sustainability—Perspectives from Australian Cities and a Survey of 37 Global Cities

Cities are shaped by technological, economic and cultural forces. The emerging global city—a city formed primarily by the globalised economy and information technology—will also be subject to these forces. Part of the pressure on global cities is for them to be part of the global sustainability agenda. Cities cluster people together so they can do more as a community than as individuals. The technologies for people to move around cities and to share information are critical to how they are formed. The transportation priorities of a city will obviously be a major factor in shaping a city. However, it is also necessary to have the economic incentive and ability to build such cities. In addition to economic priorities there are cultural priorities which shape cities. Australia is a good example as it is a large country with a small population by any comparison. When the first settlers came to Australia, the one resource which seemed virtually endless was space.