Global Shrinkage Debut

Welcome to Global Shrinkage. This blog is designed to document the effects of globalization on communities, with a primary focus on large cities and urban neighborhoods. So often the globalization discussion tends to focus on global trade and economic rights issues. The polarization of wealth in large global cities (New York, London, Hong Kong, etc.) is having a profound impact both on rural communities and smaller urban areas throughout the world. Also, this concentration of wealth is having consequences at the neighborhood level. In many of the cities which are reaping the greatest economic benefits from economic globalization, large segments of their citizenry are being displaced by rising rents, condominium conversions, and large increases in service costs in longtime middle-class and working-class districts. It is not the purpose of this blog to take sides on what is a very divisive issue. Economic polarization is fact. The richest income brackets and the lowest income brackets are augmenting across the developed world. Some say this is an inevitable outcome of global transportation improvements and the need for more low-income workers in the developed world. Others say there are alternatives. Throughout the course of this blog the focus will be on the effects, and though there will be an effort to present both views with each posting, an absolutist pro-con focus will be avoided at all costs.