100+ INTERVIEWS: Saskia Sassen

Saskia Sassen is an American sociologist and economist, professor at the University of Chicago. Sassen is known as a researcher of globalization and international migration. She is the author of the term "Global City". Saskia Sassen will talk about globalization and global cities, as well as trends in cities of the future, at the 100+ Forum Russia.

What changes need to take place for the city to become global, why Ms. Sassen calls the city an "unfinished system" and what she knows about Yekaterinburg — about this in our exclusive interview.

Today's world is usually perceived as a world of global phenomena. You are against this approach. Why?

There are many global things in the world, both good and bad. The bad news is that there are a lot of large companies selling standard products, services, and concepts to an increasing number of countries around the world. And I would like to see more unique things — buildings, fashion, music, culture... Fewer identical products produced by several major companies, fewer franchises. This is also because buyers of franchise products also bear the cost of maintaining the headquarters of such companies, which are most often located in other cities and countries.

Which cities do you consider to be global and has their configuration changed recently?

Now there are about 40 of the largest global cities in the world, but if we also take into account little-known cities, then there are almost a hundred. These global cities are key players in the global economy, global art, music events, etc.

Cities are experiencing a crisis. What is it, what is it expressed in?

This crisis has several vectors. On the one hand, there are more and more cities in the world that are suffering from a growing population, an increasing number of cars and, as a result, poor air, lack of housing, clean water, too much garbage and lack of space for its burial, and so on.

On the other hand, the city is increasingly becoming the only place where those who have neither strength, money, nor a home can find a more or less safe haven — a park bench, and sleep there every night.

In this regard, how should the development of a modern global city be built? On what principles?

A city designed entirely by planners — that is, a city that is created according to a large plan written by several people - cannot be a real city... perhaps, over time, he will begin to break the framework in which he was built.

Is it possible to answer the question unequivocally today: "in which direction should cities develop?"

Only very partially. If we simply consider one of the key vectors, such as climate change and its consequences for the city, we will see that all the plans that were made before we realized and began to take this problem into account are no longer viable and do not meet such risks as rising temperatures, rising water levels, loss of land, threatening oceans, plastic, consequences for our nutrition, etc.

You say that a city is a complex unfinished system. What does unfinished mean?

I mean, the very simple things are that the city, first of all, is a complex mechanism. He needs to solve a very, very wide range of issues, from supplying residents with food, clean water, public order, electricity, hospitals, etc. to larger issues of organizing security for residents. But, secondly, the city must provide it in such a way as to avoid turning the city into a fortress. The private cities for the rich that we see in many parts of the world are de-urbanized, and that's not a good thing either. The goal is to keep the city open, but safe and comfortable for most people. It's not easy.

In what period did Moscow become one of the global cities?

I believe that Moscow became a global city in the 1980s, despite the fact that some global cities appeared earlier than in 1980.

What changes have taken place in Moscow that allowed it to become a global city? And is it possible to predict: what changes will still have to take place in the Russian capital, what awaits it?

This is an important issue that is often overlooked: the changes that were necessary to ensure the growth of global cities. One of the main ones is the possibility of an active presence of all types of foreign companies in our major cities. This led to a kind of internationalism, although it was very different from the earlier ideas about internationalism. Today's internationalism is much more focused on the presence of foreign businesses!

The Strelka Design Bureau, a well—known Center for Urban Economics, recently conducted a large-scale study of the economy of Russian cities with a population of more than 1 million people, and came to the sad conclusions that cities with millions in Russia is not developing as well as it could. And this is hindered primarily by Moscow, which has the largest amount of finance in the country. How typical is this situation for global cities?

I'm afraid this is typical for many countries. The only difference is that there are several such dominant cities in some countries. So, in the USA, these are, in addition to New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco. The best example from this point of view is probably Germany, where Frankfurt, Berlin and Munich are such major cities. From this point of view, Germany is better when compared with Paris or London... which are absolutely dominant in their own countries, leaving fewer opportunities for other cities.

I know many Yekaterinburg businessmen who dream of Yekaterinburg becoming a global city. Do you think he has a chance?

Firstly, it is not always good for most residents that their city is becoming global. For many, it may be more comfortable to live in a non-global city. The status of a global city attracts various international companies to open their offices and representative offices in the city. And it can be great: there will be good restaurants, residential complexes, a brighter theatrical life, more concerts... and other great things. But many low-income people (doctors, firefighters, teachers...) They will no longer be able to afford to live in the center and will be forced to move to the suburbs. We must be wise and understand what we are doing when we strive to make our city global.

Secondly, yes, your city has already become global or is on the way to it. There is a sufficient variety of enterprises and competencies in it.

What do you know about Yekaterinburg?

I know very little about the history of the city, rather than about its current life, events, and initiatives... I would like to know more...

Do you know about the mass actions of citizens in Yekaterinburg to protect the square where they want to build a new Orthodox church? Every night for a week, several thousand people came out to the square, speaking out in his defense. How does this behavior characterize the city?

No, I didn't know about that! How interesting and how good it is when residents express their opinions. And Yes— a city is a space where its residents should not be silent, even if the government has more power, and if it may not meet the requests of residents.

Such actions take place in most cities, some more massively, some less. But! Cities are often built taking into account, first of all, the interests of the high-income classes, and this is a negative factor: we cannot make cities for the rich and the most affluent middle classes... This is not how the strongest and most stable cities were created.

The International High-rise Construction Forum "100+ Forum Russia" is also a manifestation of globalization in its own way. But you agreed to take part in it. Why?

And why not? It is always good and important to get to know the differences, new cities, projects, technologies, new people and other cultures.