In this article “What makes a great city great? An American Perspective” H.V. Savitch (43) asserts that to know what makes a city great a simple approach of using 4Cs can be used. This 4Cs include currency, cosmopolitanism, concentration and charisma. Additionally, he notes that these 4Cs are critical in differentiating a great city from ordinary cities.
According to the author, currency relates to actions or activities within a city that cause world change. This can relate to knowledge transfer or infrastructural abilities of a city. For instance, the Rome’s Military strength and Amsterdam ability to engage in world trade through its ports.
In America, the cities of New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles are good examples of great cities. New York being a business hub extends its financial influence to the rest of the world. Los Angeles is a world center for entertainment. The author notes, “Los Angeles is one of the highest interconnected cities around the globe and is the second highest technology center in the country”. San Francisco hosts the financial district referred to as “Wall Street” and has some of the major leading banks in the world. Chicago is tourist city and has a high number of white-collar employments.
Cosmopolitanism
This relates to how smoothly different cultures from different parts of the world interact. A characteristic of cosmopolitanism is a variety of different lifestyles and ways of living. According to the author, immigration seems to be a constant source of cosmopolitanism. He notes, “During the late 19th and 20th centuries, immigrants from around the world poured into London’s East End and its South Bank” (Savitch 45).
Further, cosmopolitanism is associated with global connectivity. This is in cases where international organizations have their offices in a certain city for instance Nairobi, in the case of United Nations or a city is a global outreach in terms of media, for instance Hamburg.
New York City has nationalities and immigrants from different parts of the world. Some of these include the Irish, Italians, Puerto Ricans and the Jews. Additionally, it has a large proportion of foreign correspondents. In Los Angeles, migration of American citizens from different parts of the country contributes to cosmopolitanism. San Francisco has a different profile of people including the Gay, who contribute to the city’s vibrancy (Savitch 45).
Concentration
This relates to the population density and levels of mass production. A common feature of concentrated cities is different land uses and increased human activity. The concentrated cities tend to have additional opportunities.
The population density in the four American cities is higher than most cities in the country. In New York, Manhattan has superiority in terms of mass production and most of the areas in New York are increasing in development. It also has a complex subway system that serves over 1.4 million people daily (Savitch 45).
Charisma
This relates to attitudes and perception. Image of a city is significant in making it a great city. An attractive image of a city makes it accessible to people from different parts or the world and culture. An image relates to certain elements such as buildings or structural symbols that have a historical perspective or story. Examples include Jerusalem’s Western Wall and Istanbul’s Byzantine era churches and mosques. Authenticity is important in contributing to a city’s charisma. Historical symbols tend to increase a city’s perception and attitude, which increases its charisma. A city such as Chicago has outstanding architecture, sports teams and unique celebrations. San Francisco has a Victorian housing and the variety of cultures add to its charisma.
Work Cited
Savitch, H.V."What makes a great city great? An American
Perspective." Elsevier 27.1 (2010): 42-49. Print.
