Los Angeles Chalks Up Near-Perfect Score As Alpha World City
Along with New York City and Chicago, Los Angeles is one of several cities in the Untied States to meet the definition of of an "alpha world city", a concept popularized by England's Loughborough University that is used to designate strategic geographic locales in a world characterized more and more by globalization. The Loughborough scale further classifies the planet's leading cities as alpha, beta or gamma world cities, depending on how well a particular metropolis meets certain general characteristics.
The category of "alpha world city" is actually a two-tier classification in which New York City, Paris, London and Tokyo are the undisputed point leaders. Safely ensconced in Tier Two of the "Alpha League", Los Angeles meets many of the characteristics ascribed by Loughborough University to the world's top cities.
Chief among the twelve characteristics is name recognition. Essentially, a city's name must be so much "bigger than life" that the mere mention of its name transcends all geographical boundaries. Although many cities around the world share the same name, it is universally understood that a reference to Paris, London or New York means a specific city in France, the United Kingdom or the United States. The same can be said of Los Angeles, or L.A., which is universally recognized as a bustling metropolis and cultural center on the west coast of the United States.
Here's a look at several other characteristics on the Loughborough University list that help qualify the City of Los Angeles as an alpha world city:
- An alpha world city has a substantial population. According to 2006 estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau, L.A.'s population is 3.8 million, making it the largest city in California and the second largest city in the United States after New York City.
- An alpha world city is a transportation nexus, usually with an important international airport used as a hub by a number of international air carriers. Los Angeles International Airport, or LAX, is the world's fifth busiest commercial airport. LAX serves nearly ninety domestic and seventy international destinations and is considered a gateway to destinations throughout Asia and Oceania.
- An alpha world city is also a cultural nexus. As the focal point of America's television and movie industry, film and TV studios in Los Angeles produce world-class entertainment seen both domestically and abroad.
These are only three of a dozen characteristics that define an alpha world city according to the Loughborough University scale. Los Angeles scores ten of twelve points on this scale, making it one of the planet's most influential and important cities.
Matt Paolini is a senior researcher for CityBook.com, the family-safe Los Angeles yellow pages, which carries an extensive directory on Los Angeles film.