Global transformation and the city : the debates -- The impact of urban governance and policy -- Cities in North America : rediscovering downtown, regionalism, and devolution -- New York : capital of the world -- The challenge to New York's world city dominance : Toronto, Mexico City, Chicago, or Los Angeles? -- European integration and competitive city regions -- London : from fragmentation to world city promotion -- Europe's world city contenders : Paris, Berlin, Frankfurt, and Barcelona -- Pacific Asia : economic interdependence and the developmental state -- Tokyo : shaping a world city in the face of economic turbulence -- Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Singapore : a battle for regional dominance : mega-projects and state-led visions -- Planning world cities.