ABSTRACT
Why and how do cities matter in today’s global economy? Is there something different about their role today from 20 or 30 years ago? This is, inevitably, one particular angle into the question of the importance of cities today, since most cities have probably had few interactions with the global economy and have felt only minor repercussions from its growth. But it is an important issue to pursue because many experts and policy makers appear to be convinced that globalization and the new information technologies mark the end of the economic importance of cities.
