The city is even perceived by some as a striver whose influence is more regional than global. In 2013 the city committed US$ 3 billion to revive urban neighborhoods, through a public-private initiative that Mayor Rahm Emanuel insists will help Chicago “live up to its potential as the global city that it should be.” Such factors make a city great, but do they make it global?ĭespite being a paragon of economic diversification, Chicago lacks an undisputed position in any transformative and globally relevant industry, as enjoyed by its coastal rivals. Chicago also has a lively private sector, and visionary, pro-developmental planning from both its recent and distant past. Is Chicago prepared to abandon pursuit of industry dominance and seek global status in the hyper-connected knowledge economy? The city already boasts corporate prominence and diverse lifestyle amenities, and has even seen post-recession growth in emerging creative industries like high-tech and film. The digital revolution enables geographic dispersal of talent through “ internet-based globalization.” In short, collaboration enables flexible capacity, while international collaboration taps a vastly more diverse and hungry talent pool. Accordingly, local workforce size loses relevance, good news for small cities. Second, technology-enabled connectivity integrates previously isolated regions into the global economy, creating what a recent Foreign Affairs article labels a “unified global marketplace for labor.” Third, the dynamic knowledge sector rewards flexibility over size footloose over big and rigid.
This equalizes the international knowledge race, with companies seeking ideas regardless of geographical origin. First, the innovative nature of emerging industries and modernizing traditional industries shifts competitive determinants from resources to ideas. Global status in the 21st century favors international collaboration over industry dominance, for three reasons. Chicago has dim prospects of replicating such undisputable competitive advantages, but it may not need to. Ultimately, though, Chicago’s domestic peers have global status through definitive leadership in industries with visibility and impact (New York in finance, Los Angeles in entertainment, Houston in energy, and San Francisco in technology and innovation). Even San Francisco, next to Silicon Valley, claims prominence for its cutting-edge industries and progressive culture. As America’s “third” city, Chicago competes for international attention against the usual rivals: New York and Los Angeles.
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