words by Alexandra Turnbull
More than half the world now lives in cities. That's over 4.032 billion people. The world has over 10,000 cities in it, each with their own identity, history and culture to share what makes it unique. As the world has become more interconnected, it makes sense that cities have followed suit. With more people, comes different cultures, experiences, and a change to the identity of the city. Younger generations move and build lives in new locations, opening shops and restaurants, and contributing not just to economies, but to a rich and diverse culture. Across the world, many people commute into cities for work, with transport more accessible than ever. However, transportation is not the only thing that connects cities globally, nowadays you do not need to be near one another in order to share culture.
Cities in mainland Europe are easy to travel between and are, thus, used as vessels to enable fluidity of ideas, creativity, and culture - cities are hubs of activity. There are organisations that encourage cities across Europe and the world to bridge and aid each other in the fight against today’s serious problems. The European Union has the ECF (European Climate Foundation) which connects European cities to discuss climate change, with the goal “to empower people across society to create a net-zero world.” EDGE (Engaged Donors for Global Equity) created ‘Cities of Change’ in 2017, which encourages the sharing of information and enables cities to support one another. They also support diversity, a better economy, and a fair government. Organisations like these are representative of the type of change that cities can make when they work together, proving that in the modern world, distance is no longer an issue.
Transport options are numerous and, often, easy to use. Journeys that previously would have taken days now take hours thanks to cars, trains, and airplanes. But has some of the magic been lost in the process? Where in the past people would dress up to travel, for many now, it is a mundane experience. In 2023, it was reported that over 12.5 million people in the European Union commuted to another region in their country for work. The journey into work makes commuters feel tired, stressed and generally unhappy (The Standard). However, commutes are symbolic of the world moving forward and the ability of human innovation. Trains can take you from Essex to London, but for an hour more of your time, can also take you to Paris for the weekend. The mingling of cultural identities in cities is a step towards a more inclusive and progressive world, and encourages people to broaden their perspectives.
Cities have also joined together and combined their values in the form of sister cities. Sister cities, or twin towns, are described as “a broad-based, long-term partnership between two communities in two countries.” A lot of relationships were forged after WW2 in an attempt to help everyone rebuild. Hanover, Germany and Bristol, UK are just one example of two towns on opposing sides who were brought together by the program. A more recent example is the Waitakere City (now part of Auckland) and their sister city in Ningbo, China. This relationship was based on Ningbo’s desire to learn more about sustainability, which Waitakere City is famous for. The bonds formed by sister cities do a lot of good for both sides and show that connection doesn’t have to be inhibited by distance.
This can be seen in Liverpool, UK who has a sister city relationship with Shanghai, China. Liverpool has the oldest Chinese community in Europe, being over 200 years old. Chinatown in Liverpool is home to an Imperial Arc, a Paifong which is an archway. The Paifong in Liverpool is the largest outside of China and was imported to the UK in pieces. Chinatown is a popular area of the city for restaurants and stores, expanding the culture of the city. There are around 10,000 Chinese people living in Liverpool, and the council has just announced a plan to improve and update Chinatown, showing how important the area is.
Cities worldwide are becoming interesting, diverse places to live in based on connections with the world around them. Something as simple as a commute represents much more than we appreciate on an everyday basis. Taking advantage of this and learning things from each other are essential when taking positive steps towards change.