This book is the sixth volume in a publication series sponsored by the government of Japan and the World Bank to examine future sources of economic growth in East Asia. Based on six Asian profiles—of Bangkok, Beijing, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, and Tokyo—this book argues that the growth trajectory of postindustrial cities depends not on “factor accumulation,” as was the case in the past, but on technologies, intellectual creation, and innovation. The volume's content and perspectives sit comfortably with the literature on global cities, which forwards the view that technopolises and financial centers—not mega-cities or nation-states—are the primary drivers of today's world economy.

On a broader note, the book contrasts with other texts in the literature such as Janet Abu-Lughod's New York, Chicago, Los Angeles (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2001), which argues that contemporary global cities have managed to become “global” because of their historical characteristics. This book will be...

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