Alpha cities: London, New York, Milan, Paris, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Moscow, Chicago, Frankfurt, Los Angeles and Karachi.Devised in 1998 by the Globalization and World Cities (GaWC) thinktank at the University of Loughborough, it uses a set of parameters that measures the international connectedness of the world’s cities. There’s an interesting and influential international classification for cities that divides them up into Alpha, Beta or Gamma tiers. Observers like the World Economic Forum constantly analyse urban spaces, their mutations and their prospects in an attempt to create a social, economic and geopolitical map that is as accurate as possible in a world that is increasingly unpredictable.Ĭities are more important than ever, and city branding is a tool that allows urban centres to better communicate and attract talent and become more competitive and prosperous in the process.īut let’s start by looking at why it’s so important to be a competitive city.

In recent years, cities have undoubtedly increased their position and relevance both on the national and international.

Global cities rankings alpha