This resource aligns with AP Human Geography Topic 6.3: Cities and Globalization and provides a structured case study assignment that helps students analyze how world cities function within the global economy. In this World City Globalization Case Study, students investigate a major global city and evaluate its role in international economic, cultural, and transportation networks.

Students research their assigned city’s GaWC classification and analyze evidence of globalization through corporate headquarters, transportation infrastructure, cultural influence, and economic sectors. The assignment requires students to examine the city at multiple scales—local, national, and global—to understand how global processes shape urban development and how cities mediate global flows of capital, goods, people, and ideas.

Students also justify their city’s placement within the global urban hierarchy using geographic evidence. The project requires organized slides, visual support, and well-developed explanations, encouraging students to move beyond definitions and apply geographic concepts to real-world examples.

This activity is ideal for independent research, group projects, presentations, assessment, or enrichment. It strengthens students’ understanding of world cities, global networks, and uneven development—concepts commonly assessed on the AP Human Geography Exam.