ABSTRACT
Cities have always been crucial crossroads for long-distance connections and these connections in turn significantly shape their social, economic and cultural make-up. Changes in such connections reconfigure urban lives. Cities are key sites where contemporary globalization manifests itself, and they are crucial for the organization of global networks and operations. Cities are important nodes for trade and transnational production chains, as well as important immigrant destinations. Urban landscapes often display large degrees of socio-cultural diversity and can become the focus of ethnic or cultural tensions.
