Cities seen through a relational lens

This paper applies a relational approach to global urbanization with respect to the economic flows and relationships that help local places to position themselves globally. The paper ties in with the increasing functional and economic integration of urban areas – an integration that is not primarily related to economic or population size but an outcome of specialization and a politics of niche sovereignty. Empirically the paper draws upon case studies of three different places: Geneva (Switzerland), Luxembourg City (Luxembourg) and the citystate of Singapore. We reconstruct the different ways in which these three became part of global networks, and how the crafting of political frameworks based on niche making has fostered their rise in global significance.