Our Spiky World

“And because modern communication makes the world smaller at the same time that globalization makes it spikier, those trapped in the valleys are looking directly up at the peaks, the growing disparities in wealth, opportunity, and lifestyle staring them right in the face.” (pg. 40)

This quotation is referring to how ‘spiky’ our world has become. There are a select number of cities in North America and globally for that matter that are attracting a mass number of talented, innovative and creative individuals. For example,Tokyo, Seoul, New York, San Francisco, Toronto, and Vancouver are cities that stand out in terms of their innovation and economic growth. Whereas the rural areas, in comparison, that surround these cities are unable to compete with this growing trend.

Globalization is a powerful movement where places that have previously not had a chance to participate in the world economy are now an active part of it. The “clustering force” is one outcome of globalization. This force involves creative and innovative people and companies coming together, generally forming around large urban cities. This dense population of skilled workers promote the flow of ideas and increase the talent and productivity of each individual.

However, many will argue that globalization is becoming an increasingly negative part of our global economy. One way of putting it is the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. The disparity and extremes between these urban centers or the world’s ‘spikes’, and the rural areas with a much lower level of economic activity is increasing at a startling rate. Lacking the skill, education, or mobility, these people are falling further behind in our fast paced society. According to Richard Florida, these peaks are “staring them right in the face” creating a feeling of inequality. One possible reaction includes a political backlash opposing this movement. Feelings of fear, insecurity and anger can also be found within these regions. Overall, globalization is an innovative breakthrough that has affected a smaller minority for the better, but poses as a serious threat to the rest of the world.