Research on world cities, dominating the 1990s, was more about cities, less about the world. Reversing that order, this paper asks to what extent the "world city paradigm" still has validity today. Rather than focusing on economic and business-related criteria in examining and assessing world city development (as is frequently the norm), the paper looks particularly at historical and cultural factors. Using the example of London, it shows how historical postcolonial connections with India continue to influence the everyday fortune of the contemporary city.
world city paradigm; global city; post colonialism; imperialism; urban