Josef Gugler brings together leading authorities from four continents to provide the first dedicated study of major cities in countries outside the industrialized West: Bangkok, Mumbai, Cairo, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Johannesburg, Mexico City, Moscow, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Shanghai and Singapore. Fourteen contributors from diverse backgrounds bring their expertise to bear on these world cities and consider, for the first time, the major regional and global roles they play in economic, political and cultural life. Conveying how these cities have followed various historical pathways to their present position, they offer multiple perspectives on the interplay between internal and external forces and they demonstrate that any comprehensive discussion of world cities has to engage a multiplicity of perspectives. With an introduction from Josef Gugler and afterword from Saskia Sassen, this substantial volume makes a major contribution to world cities literature and provides an important new impetus for further analysis.