The Global City: New York, London, Tokyo by Saskia Sassen: Understanding the Intersection of Finance and Territorial Insertions

Saskia Sassen's seminal work, The Global City: New York, London, Tokyo (1991), revolutionized our understanding of globalization by highlighting the crucial role that specific territorial insertions play in the global economy. Her research challenged the prevailing notion that globalization is placeless, instead arguing that it requires very particular territorial configurations to function effectively.

Sassen's thesis posits that highly globalized and digitized sectors such as finance require specific territorial insertions to operate efficiently. This insight has significant implications for our understanding of economic development, urbanization, and migration patterns. For instance, her work demonstrates how foreign investment in less developed countries can actually increase the likelihood of emigration if it goes to labor-intensive sectors or devastates traditional economies.

The Global City is part of a larger body of research that Sassen has conducted over two decades. Her multi-year projects have led to numerous publications, including The Mobility of Labor and Capital (1988) and several other influential works. Throughout her research, Sassen has consistently employed an innovative approach by positing the unexpected and counterintuitive in order to cut through established 'truths.'

Sassen's work encompasses a broad range of topics, including globalization, immigration, global cities, terrorism, new technologies, and changes within the liberal state resulting from transnational conditions. Her research focuses on the sociology of urban processes, transnational phenomena, technology, and the dynamics of powerlessness in urban contexts.

As Lynd Professor of Sociology and Member of the Committee on Global Thought at Columbia University, Sassen's expertise has far-reaching implications for policymakers, urban planners, and scholars seeking to understand the complexities of globalization. The Global City: New York, London, Tokyo remains a foundational text in this field, offering valuable insights into the intersection of finance, territory, and power.

The global city: new york, london, tokyo by saskia sassen