The city of Paris provokes thoughts of romance, fine art, extravagant buildings, and is one of the most stylish cities in the world. Paris the largest population in Europe (9.3 million) and is also recognised as a major world city in terms of economic, political, and cultural significance. This account of Paris will look at how Paris has become a "global" city, and how it plans to remain there, and the problems that it faces. Processes that have shaped the city into what we see today and will see in the future. Processes such as gentrification, globalisation, the dynamics of social polarisation, and ideas of urban planning.
The main economic centre of France is a region known as the Ile-de-France. This region includes the city of Paris itself and also includes the inner and outer suburbs. "This region has a population of around 10.7 million" (Noin & White). Such a large population provides in turn a large workforce, and this large labour force acts as one of the most significant features of the Paris economy. The large population in the Ile-de-France area generated in 1991, 29% of the countries GDP. Just under a third of the whole populations economy.
Globalisation has a large effect on the urban fabric of Paris. Located within Paris are all of the political and parliamentary buildings and public administration buildings. As well as nearly all of Frances cooperate headquarters. "Of the 100 biggest corporations, 92 have their head office in the Paris area" (Noin and White, p130). Cooperate heads such as Esso, L"Oreal, and Christian Dior; have located in Paris mainly because of its location within Europe. Its commercial location is of vast importance to these companies, particularly in terms of retailing as it is centrally located within Europe. With France adjoined to countries such as Spain (Madrid), and Italy (Rome), the location of Paris within Europe is of an advantage to these cooperate giants.