An attempt to define and categorise world cities was made in 1999 by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network (GaWC), based primarily at Loughborough University in Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. The roster was outlined in the GaWC Research Bulletin 5 and ranked cities based on provision of "advanced producer services" such as accountancy, advertising, finance and law, by international corporations. The GaWC inventory identifies three levels of world cities and several sub-ranks.

Note that this roster generally denotes cities in which there are offices of certain multinational companies providing financial and consulting services rather than other cultural, political, and economic centres.

Alpha world cities (full service world cities)
12 points:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ae/Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg/22px-Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg.png London
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/22px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png New York
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c3/Flag_of_France.svg/22px-Flag_of_France.svg.png Paris
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f0/Flag_of_Japan_%28bordered%29.svg/22px-Flag_of_Japan_%28bordered%29.svg.png Tokyo

10 points:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/22px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png Chicago
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/Flag_of_Germany.svg/22px-Flag_of_Germany.svg.png Frankfurt
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5b/Flag_of_Hong_Kong.svg/22px-Flag_of_Hong_Kong.svg.png Hong Kong
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/22px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png Los Angeles
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/03/Flag_of_Italy.svg/22px-Flag_of_Italy.svg.png Milan
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/75/Flag_of_Singapore_%28bordered%29.svg/22px-Flag_of_Singapore_%28bordered%29.svg.png Singapore

Beta world cities (major world cities)
9 points:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/22px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png San Francisco
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/Flag_of_Australia.svg/22px-Flag_of_Australia.svg.png Sydney
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b6/Flag_of_Canada_%28bordered%29.svg/22px-Flag_of_Canada_%28bordered%29.svg.png Toronto
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Flag_of_Switzerland.svg/20px-Flag_of_Switzerland.svg.png Zürich

8 points:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/Flag_of_Belgium_%28civil%29.svg/22px-Flag_of_Belgium_%28civil%29.svg.png Brussels
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/Flag_of_Spain.svg/22px-Flag_of_Spain.svg.png Madrid
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Flag_of_Mexico.svg/22px-Flag_of_Mexico.svg.png Mexico City
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/05/Flag_of_Brazil.svg/22px-Flag_of_Brazil.svg.png São Paulo

7 points:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/37/Flag_of_Russia_%28bordered%29.svg/22px-Flag_of_Russia_%28bordered%29.svg.png Moscow
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8b/Flag_of_South_Korea_%28bordered%29.svg/22px-Flag_of_South_Korea_%28bordered%29.svg.png Seoul

Gamma world cities (minor world cities)
6 points

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/20/Flag_of_the_Netherlands.svg/22px-Flag_of_the_Netherlands.svg.png Amsterdam
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/22px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png Boston
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/06/Flag_of_Venezuela.svg/22px-Flag_of_Venezuela.svg.png Caracas
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/22px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png Dallas
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/Flag_of_Germany.svg/22px-Flag_of_Germany.svg.png Düsseldorf
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Flag_of_Switzerland.svg/20px-Flag_of_Switzerland.svg.png Geneva
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/22px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png Houston
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/07/Flag_of_Indonesia_%28bordered%29.svg/22px-Flag_of_Indonesia_%28bordered%29.svg.png Jakarta
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/af/Flag_of_South_Africa.svg/22px-Flag_of_South_Africa.svg.png Johannesburg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/Flag_of_Australia.svg/22px-Flag_of_Australia.svg.png Melbourne
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f0/Flag_of_Japan_%28bordered%29.svg/22px-Flag_of_Japan_%28bordered%29.svg.png Osaka
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f1/Flag_of_the_Czech_Republic_%28bordered%29.svg/22px-Flag_of_the_Czech_Republic_%28bordered%29.svg.png Prague
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d3/Flag_of_Chile_%28bordered%29.svg/22px-Flag_of_Chile_%28bordered%29.svg.png Santiago
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/Flag_of_the_Republic_of_China.svg/22px-Flag_of_the_Republic_of_China.svg.png Taipei
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/22px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png Washington, D.C.


5 points:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a9/Flag_of_Thailand.svg/22px-Flag_of_Thailand.svg.png Bangkok
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Flag_of_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China.svg/22px-Flag_of_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China.svg.png Beijing
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b6/Flag_of_Canada_%28bordered%29.svg/22px-Flag_of_Canada_%28bordered%29.svg.png Montreal
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/03/Flag_of_Italy.svg/22px-Flag_of_Italy.svg.png Rome
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Flag_of_Sweden.svg/22px-Flag_of_Sweden.svg.png Stockholm
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/80/Flag_of_Poland_corrected_%28bordered%29.svg/22px-Flag_of_Poland_corrected_%28bordered%29.svg.png Warsaw


4 points:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/22px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png Atlanta
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/Flag_of_Spain.svg/22px-Flag_of_Spain.svg.png Barcelona
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/Flag_of_Germany.svg/22px-Flag_of_Germany.svg.png Berlin
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c1/Flag_of_Hungary.svg/22px-Flag_of_Hungary.svg.png Budapest
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/Flag_of_Argentina.svg/22px-Flag_of_Argentina.svg.png Buenos Aires
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Flag_of_Denmark.svg/22px-Flag_of_Denmark.svg.png Copenhagen
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/Flag_of_Germany.svg/22px-Flag_of_Germany.svg.png Hamburg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b4/Flag_of_Turkey.svg/22px-Flag_of_Turkey.svg.png Istanbul
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/66/Flag_of_Malaysia.svg/22px-Flag_of_Malaysia.svg.png Kuala Lumpur
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Flag_of_the_Philippines.svg/22px-Flag_of_the_Philippines.svg.png Manila
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/22px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png Miami
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/22px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png Minneapolis
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/Flag_of_Germany.svg/22px-Flag_of_Germany.svg.png Munich
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Flag_of_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China.svg/22px-Flag_of_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China.svg.png Shanghai

Evidence of world city formation

Strong evidence
3 points

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5c/Flag_of_Greece.svg/22px-Flag_of_Greece.svg.png Athens
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/Flag_of_New_Zealand.svg/22px-Flag_of_New_Zealand.svg.png Auckland
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a9/Flag_of_Ireland_%28bordered%29.svg/22px-Flag_of_Ireland_%28bordered%29.svg.png Dublin
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6a/Flag_of_Finland_%28bordered%29.svg/22px-Flag_of_Finland_%28bordered%29.svg.png Helsinki
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/da/Flag_of_Luxembourg.svg/22px-Flag_of_Luxembourg.svg.png Luxembourg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c3/Flag_of_France.svg/22px-Flag_of_France.svg.png Lyon
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/41/Flag_of_India.svg/22px-Flag_of_India.svg.png Mumbai
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/41/Flag_of_India.svg/22px-Flag_of_India.svg.png New Delhi
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/22px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png Philadelphia
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/05/Flag_of_Brazil.svg/22px-Flag_of_Brazil.svg.png Rio de Janeiro
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/05/Flag_of_Israel_%28bordered%29.svg/22px-Flag_of_Israel_%28bordered%29.svg.png Tel Aviv
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/41/Flag_of_Austria.svg/22px-Flag_of_Austria.svg.png Vienna

Some evidence
2 points:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Flag_of_the_United_Arab_Emirates.svg/22px-Flag_of_the_United_Arab_Emirates.svg.png Abu Dhabi
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/Flag_of_Kazakhstan.svg/22px-Flag_of_Kazakhstan.svg.png Almaty
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ae/Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg/22px-Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg.png Birmingham
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/Flag_of_Colombia.svg/22px-Flag_of_Colombia.svg.png Bogotá
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/23/Flag_of_Slovakia_%28bordered%29.svg/22px-Flag_of_Slovakia_%28bordered%29.svg.png Bratislava
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/Flag_of_Australia.svg/22px-Flag_of_Australia.svg.png Brisbane
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/73/Flag_of_Romania.svg/22px-Flag_of_Romania.svg.png Bucharest
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fe/Flag_of_Egypt.svg/22px-Flag_of_Egypt.svg.png Cairo
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/22px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png Cleveland
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/Flag_of_Germany.svg/22px-Flag_of_Germany.svg.png Cologne
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/22px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png Detroit
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Flag_of_the_United_Arab_Emirates.svg/22px-Flag_of_the_United_Arab_Emirates.svg.png Dubai
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/Flag_of_Vietnam.svg/22px-Flag_of_Vietnam.svg.png Ho Chi Minh City
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/49/Flag_of_Ukraine.svg/22px-Flag_of_Ukraine.svg.png Kiev
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cf/Flag_of_Peru.svg/22px-Flag_of_Peru.svg.png Lima
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5c/Flag_of_Portugal.svg/22px-Flag_of_Portugal.svg.png Lisbon
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ae/Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg/22px-Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg.png Manchester
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/83/Flag_of_Uruguay_%28bordered%29.svg/22px-Flag_of_Uruguay_%28bordered%29.svg.png Montevideo
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d9/Flag_of_Norway.svg/22px-Flag_of_Norway.svg.png Oslo
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0d/Flag_of_Saudi_Arabia.svg/22px-Flag_of_Saudi_Arabia.svg.png Riyadh
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/20/Flag_of_the_Netherlands.svg/22px-Flag_of_the_Netherlands.svg.png Rotterdam
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/22px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png Seattle
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/Flag_of_Germany.svg/22px-Flag_of_Germany.svg.png Stuttgart
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/20/Flag_of_the_Netherlands.svg/22px-Flag_of_the_Netherlands.svg.png The Hague
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b6/Flag_of_Canada_%28bordered%29.svg/22px-Flag_of_Canada_%28bordered%29.svg.png Vancouver

Minimal evidence
1 point:

Adelaide
Antwerp
Aarhus
Baltimore
Bangalore
Bologna
Brasília
Calgary
Cape Town
Colombo
Columbus
Dresden
Edinburgh
Genoa
Glasgow
Gothenburg
Guangzhou
Hanoi
Kansas City
Leeds

Real world isn`t Sim Sity ..wake up...its only statistic bullshits

:ohno:

Bratislava is bigger world city than Calgary or Baltimore :banana:

eventhough it´s quite old.... 8 years ... long time in this matter....:cheers:

Maybe in 2007 it is better than Vienna :banana:

some cities i dont understand... they are underestimated... would like to know what exact criteria they used....

"Note that this roster generally denotes cities in which there are offices of certain multinational companies providing financial and consulting services rather than other cultural, political, and economic centres."

More or less, it's about the amount of multinational companies serving a city and its region...

Nevertheless, I'm quite surprised that Vienna is below Prague.

http://www.matuska.org/jan/skyscrapercity/jn.png

Yeah, I just wanted to remark the same thing. Prague is 3 classes (!) above Vienna??? WTF?
There are also other cities which seem totally out of place. This list is bullshit IMO.

infinite i see you`re quite in "good mood" today.... anyway i kinda agree with you....

I'm sorry if I don't sound politically correct enough Peter :).

edit: Just noticed, Dubai the same level as Bratislava? You gotta be kidding me.

^^
After all Dubai lives only by luxury estates (with exploited workers), golf competitions and suchlike. I bet Bratislava has a stronger economical background than Dubai.

dubai facts: 2006/ gdp-37000 dollars per head
bratislava facts: 2004/ gdp-37 000 dollars per head go go go..

i can't even count how much it was posted on ssc. wake up. it was 1999.