hyperlocal.org

"The rise of transnational interactions has produced a new economic globalization in which cities and their regions are the prime nodes"

This is quintessentially summarizing the subject of a study, that is focussing on the economical impact of global connectivity for regions and cities:

"As cities aim to position themselves better economically, they must remember that they operate in a global marketplace. Cities able to grow and attract globally-connected, high-value service firms can access, and benefit from, a worldwide array of customers, workers, and contracted services, ultimately boosting quality growth at home."

 
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• Barriers and opportunities in developing creative cities.
• Role of public policy in shaping creative cities.
• Ensuring exposure and training for upcoming artists.
• Establishing public creative spaces – impact on local communities.
• Integrating indigenous knowledge systems in the age of information technology.

• Practical support for micro-businesses.
• Engaging city officials in cultural industry development.
• Measuring economic impact – tools for fundraising and policy.
• Pooling cultural resources.
• Promoting “Creative Tourism” – interactive cultural tourism.

• Finding and engaging sustainable leadership base.
• The press – advancing the city's vision and objectives.
• Integrating city's evolving vision in city initiatives.
• Communicating the local vision on a global level.

• Communicating city priorities to needs on-the-ground and vice versa.
• Overcoming internal fragmentation among cultural actors across all sectors.
• Realizing synergies - stimulating cross-sector partnerships.
• Translating local collaboration on a global platform.

Many values associated with tourism are suddenly an integral part of daily life: The search for the extraordinary, visual, aesthetically pleasing, popular, authentic and ‘magic’. The sociologist John Urry claims that the lines between holiday and everyday life are vanishing. “What now is tourism and what is more generally culture is relatively unclear.” The clear distinction between vacation and the ordinary day no longer has value, and instead one can see tourism as part of everyday life.

 
(Quote from a publication of the Kopenhagen based Creative Consulting Agency Kontrapunkt).
Kontrapunkt On Travelling (PDF, 132 pages, 11.1 Mb)

It is possible to use the positive aspects of globalization as long as you can balance them out on your local level. I had the opportunity to meet up with Michael in London and talk to him about what it means to think globally and to act locally, how it worked it for him and his business, the Stüssy 25th Anniversary and why in time of perceived recession he’s smiling.