Saskia Sassen, a sociologist born in the Netherlands and based in the United States, is one of the most influential voices in contemporary urban and global studies. Her work The Global City (1991) was pioneering in analyzing the impact of globalization on cities, introducing the concept of “global cities.” Sassen argues that certain cities, such as New York, London, and Tokyo, have become strategic nodes in the global economy, acting as centers of control for the management and distribution of capital, information, and advanced services. These cities not only host financial and corporate institutions of global reach but also play a key role in structuring the global economy.
One of the main ideas developed by Sassen in her work is how globalization has reconfigured the structure of cities. Through the concentration of financial, corporate, and technological activities, global cities have emerged as key hubs directing flows of capital and goods worldwide. In this process, these cities become centers of power but also face new tensions and inequalities. Sassen highlights that while global cities attract major investments and international talent, they also generate stronger economic and social polarization, where global capital accumulates in the hands of a few, while many people—especially lower-skilled workers—are pushed to the margins.
Migration is another central pillar in Sassen’s analysis. Global cities are, according to her, key destinations for international migration, both for highly skilled professionals and for informal workers and economic migrants. This migration largely responds to the labor demand generated by these globalized economies, but it also intensifies inequalities within cities. Sassen points out that while global cities offer opportunities for some, they also become spaces of exclusion for others, particularly migrants who often end up in poorly paid and precarious jobs.
This migration is frequently linked to global processes of deindustrialization and economic restructuring in migrants’ countries of origin. Urban inequality is another key theme in Sassen’s work. As global cities have become crucial nodes in the world economy, the gap between the richest and poorest sectors has widened. The concentration of wealth in certain urban areas has driven processes of gentrification, where long-time residents are displaced due to rising housing costs.
Sassen criticizes how urban policies, often designed to attract global capital, frequently neglect the needs of the most vulnerable populations, deepening social exclusion. Sassen also places particular emphasis on how technology and digitalization have transformed the nature of global cities. Although new technologies allow instant global connections, they do not eliminate the importance of physical cities. In fact, according to Sassen, global cities have become even more important as centers of power because of their ability to manage and control these digital networks.
The technological infrastructure of these cities not only supports the flow of information but also reinforces their role in the global economy. In conclusion, Saskia Sassen’s contributions have been fundamental for understanding the role of cities in the era of globalization. Through her analysis of “global cities,” Sassen demonstrates how these urban centers have become critical nodes in the global economy while simultaneously generating deep inequalities and forms of exclusion. Her work highlights the need to analyze cities from a global perspective, paying close attention to how flows of capital, migration, and technology reshape not only urban economies but also the lives of the people who inhabit them.
