On March 7, PricewaterhouseCoopers released its first interesting analysis: "Global City Rankings". This is, according to PWC, a comprehensive research of the largest 100 cities to make the rankings based on estimated GDP at Power Purchasing Parities.
My hometown, Tokyo, is ranked at the top in 2005, followed by New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Paris and London. PWC also estimates a global city ranking in 2020, and surprisingly, the largest is Tokyo again, and the city's estimated GDP at PPP is similar to that of Canada or Spain.
Although I've been to neither Paris nor London, the ranking in 2005 is understandable. However, it seems to me that 2020 ranking is overestimating Tokyo's potential. Also, the city might have some advantage in its larger land (and crammed) than other global cities.
In my opinion, Tokyo needs to improve, at least, two things: a good airport infrastructure (incl. access to it) and ethnic diversity. I'm sure whoever have visited (or lived) the town do agree with me for the first point. That is a part of reasons why I voted for Shintaro Ishihara in last weekend's Tokyo governor election. Yes, his policies and attitudes have been controversial, but his bid to host the Olympics games in 2016 will surely vitalize the city. (The only concern is a possibility that the governor, SHINtaro Ishihara, takes advantage of his position, misusing and messing the state government, and making Tokyo "Shin" City.)
Regarding ethnic diversity, this is a little complicated, but people gather where opportunities are present. Later, on March 20, PWC released another report: "Cities of Opportunity". The results of Tokyo are not as impressive as the global citites' GDP report, but they are more accurate and trustworthy. To me.
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