Monday, January 30, 2012

Why are the Chinese buying gold?

" The best explanation is that individuals in China are using gold as a substitute for capital flight. .. Not every Chinese citizen is in the position to export cash, so the next best tactic for the nervous is to buy gold, a refuge from plunging property prices and declining stock markets as well as an anticipated depreciation of their currency."
http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonchang/2012/01/29/why-are-the-chinese-buying-record-quantities-of-gold/

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Will Argentina invade the Falklands again?

"In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, the former head of the army, General Sir Michael Jackson, says defence cuts have made it "impossible" to win the islands back after a successful invasion, in the way the British task force did in 1982. "
--http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/falklandislands/9046826/Britain-could-not-reclaim-the-Falklands-if-Argentina-invades-warns-General-Sir-Michael-Jackson.html

The ultra-rich do their part to help the economy

"As the country tightens it's belt, Britain's super rich - the 1% of the 1% - are spending like never before. Why? Because someone has to ...
The yachts, the mansions, the handbags are so much more than decadent fripperies. They plough hundreds of millions into the British economy, employing thousands. Listen to Roxburgh, the triumphant party organiser of 2011: “One very charming client said to me that she viewed entertaining as the new philanthropy. She said: ‘I know that if I spend hundreds of thousands on an event, I am not just entertaining my guests, I am paying the mortgages of everyone working there. I could keep the money in the bank, helping nobody. At least this way I know the florist is feeding his children.’ ”
--http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/recession/9025468/The-recession-deniers.html

Saturday, January 28, 2012

GDP and the national debt

The GDP of the US is now $15,294 billion. The national debt is now at $15,236 billion.  So the debt hasn't yet hit 100% of GDP but it will any day now.

Update: The national debt hit $15,295 billion on 1/30/2012.  So yesterday the national debt officially hit 100% of GDP.

Top 60 Cities, Version 6

Another listing, influenced by the Knight Report. 60 seems like a better number than 50 to list all the important cities.
  1. New York City (1)
  2. London (7)
  3. Tokyo (2)
  4. Singapore (9)
  5. Shanghai (3)
  6. Beijing (11)
  7. Paris (12)
  8. Toronto (13)
  9. Seoul (4)
  10. Chicago (5)
  11. Hong Kong (6)
  12. Washington DC (16)
  13. Sao Paulo (8)
  14. Los Angeles (18)
  15. Moscow (10)
  16. San Francisco (15)
  17. Mexico City (19)
  18. Sydney (23)
  19. Mumbai (14)
  20. Zurich (20)
  21. Taipei (26)
  22. Buenos Aires (17)
  23. Osaka (21)
  24. Berlin (29)
  25. Brussels (30)
  26. Boston (22)
  27. Frankfurt (32)
  28. Guangzhou (24)
  29. Istanbul (34)
  30. Madrid (25)
  31. Miami (36)
  32. Dallas (27)
  33. Houston (28)
  34. Montreal (33)
  35. Vancouver (35)
  36. Rio de Janeiro (31)
  37. Philadelphia (37)
  38. Dubai (43)
  39. Delhi (38)
  40. Atlanta (39)
  41. Melbourne (40)
  42. Vienna (41)
  43. Geneva (42)
  44. Munich (48)
  45. Kuala Lumpur (50)
  46. Amsterdam (44)
  47. Stockholm (45)
  48. Cairo (53)
  49. Bogota (55)
  50. Jakarta (54)
  51. Jersey (46)
  52. Shenzhen (47)
  53. Bangkok (57)
  54. Barcelona (49)
  55. Milan (60)
  56. Manila (51)
  57. Johannesburg (58)
  58. Dublin (80)
  59. Santiago (59)
  60. Copenhagen (77)

Space Industry in the Isle of Man

"THE space industry is a sector that until the 21st century would not have been associated with the Isle of Man.

But things have certainly changed in a big way during the past decade.

Tim Craine, Director of the Business Development Agency for the Isle of Man Government, admits the talk of the Island being associated with space commerce would have been "science fiction" just a few years ago.

But the truth is stranger than fiction - and can be far more interesting.

Mr Craine gave a fascinating presentation to the Junior Chamber of Commerce last night at the Claremount Hotel, Douglas, about the development of the space industry.

There are numerous firms now based here and one of them - Excalibur Almaz - plans to offer trips round the moon and back for space tourists at a cost of $31m.

Recently aerospace market and consultancy analyst firm ASCEND declared the Island the fifth most likely nation to return to the moon.

Meanwhile a report by the Economic Policy Centre said the UK should follow the example of the Isle of Man and the US when it comes to its space industry.

Mr Craine outlined that it was back in 2000 when the Isle of Man Government entered into an agreement with ManSat to file for orbital slots.

And in 2003 it appointed ManSat's chairman and CEO Chris Stott as the Island's honorary respresentative to the space industry.

The following year zero corporate tax was introduced for space activities.

The Isle of Man Government has attracted firms here due to the zero per cent corporate tax, government grants, the Island's political stability, commercially friendly legislation and its state of the art telecommuncations infrastructure.

Over the years the industry has grown and last year the world's five largest satellite operators established the Space Data Association in the Isle of Man.

Between 2005 to 2013 it is estimated the exchequer will benefit £34,944,363 from the space industry while it is estimated that between 2011 to 2013 the private sector income would be £1,194,604,558.

What may surprise some is that despite a number of space commerce firms having a presence in the Island, the industry only employs the equivalent of 16 full time jobs here at the moment.

But the Island's reputation has spread - the Google Lunar X Prize team summit was held here last week with the majority of 22 registered teams from around the world visiting.

The ensuing media coverage was worth - in advertising terms - just under £250,000.

And even the world's second ever space tourist is a resident in the Isle of Man.

So it is fair to say that the Island's rise as a space super power has been truly out of this world."
--http://www.isleofman.com/news/article.aspx?article=29870

Worldwide Centers of Commerce

  1. London
  2. New York
  3. Tokyo
  4. Singapore
  5. Chicago
  6. Hong Kong
  7. Paris
  8. Frankfurt
  9. Seoul
  10. Amsterdam
  11. Madrid
  12. Sydney
  13. Toronto
  14. Copenhagen
  15. Zurich
  16. Stockholm
  17. Los Angeles
  18. Philadelphia
  19. Osaka
  20. Milan
  21. Boston
  22. Taipei
  23. Berlin
  24. Shanghai
  25. Atlanta
  26. Vienna
  27. Munich
  28. San Francisco
  29. Miami
  30. Brussels
  31. Dublin
  32. Montreal
  33. Hamburg
  34. Houston
  35. Dallas
  36. Washington DC
  37. Vancouver
  38. Barcelona
  39. Dusseldorf
  40. Geneva
  41. Melbourne
  42. Bangkok
  43. Edinburgh
  44. Dubai
  45. Tel Aviv
  46. Lisbon
  47. Rome
  48. Mumbai
  49. Prague
  50. Kuala Lumpur
  51. Moscow
  52. Budapest
  53. Santiago
  54. Mexico City
  55. Athens
  56. Sao Paulo
  57. Beijing
  58. Johannesburg
  59. Warsaw
  60. Shenzhen
  61. New Delhi
  62. Bogota
  63. Buenos Aires
  64. Istanbul
  65. Rio de Janeiro
  66. Bangalore
  67. St. Petersburg
  68. Jakarta
  69. Riyadh
  70. Cairo
  71. Manila
  72. Chengdu
  73. Chongqing
  74. Beirut
  75. Caracas

From: http://www.mastercard.com/us/company/en/insights/pdfs/2008/MCWW_WCoC-Report_2008.pdf

Yet Another List of the Top Global Cities

  1. New York
  2. London
  3. Paris
  4. Tokyo
  5. Brussels
  6. Los Angeles
  7. Singapore
  8. Beijing
  9. Toronto
  10. Berlin
  11. Chicago
  12. Washington DC
  13. Seoul
  14. Frankfurt
  15. Sydney
  16. San Francisco
  17. Hong Kong
  18. Shanghai
  19. Mexico City
  20. Bangkok
  21. Moscow
  22. Zurich
  23. Munich
  24. Taipei
  25. Sao Paulo
  26. Buenos Aires
  27. Istanbul
  28. Milan
  29. Boston
  30. Miami
  31. Cairo
  32. Dubai
  33. Kuala Lumpur
  34. Tel Aviv
  35. Bogota
  36. Rio de Janeiro
  37. New Delhi
  38. Mumbai
  39. Jakarta
  40. Johannesburg

Source: http://www.knightfrank.com/wealthreport/2011/global-cities-survey/

Top 50 Cities, Version 5

Here is yet another list of the top cities.  I was going to do the top 200 but this is a lot of work and I lost interest.  This is based heavily on population, but each city's ranking must be within 5 of the previous list.   The number in brackets is the population of the metro area, in thousands.

Jersey is listed as 46 here.  The only reason it is listed is that it was ranked 21 on the list of top Global Financial Centres. Likewise, Geneva, here 42, was listed as 13 of the GFCs.

It is interesting to see the changes in the composition of the top 50.
List 1 to List 2:  Edinburgh, Glasgow, Copenhagen, Cairo dropped.  Melbourne, Guernsey and Isle of Man added.
List 2 to List 3:  Rome dropped, Edinburgh re-added.
List 3 to List 4: Edinburgh re-dropped, Isle of Man dropped.  Shenzhen and Munich added.
List 4 to List 5: Guernsey dropped, Kuala Lumpur added.

  1. New York City (2) [19,425]
  2. Tokyo (7) [36,669]
  3. Shanghai (5) [16,575]
  4. Seoul (8) [9,773]
  5. Chicago (3) [9,204]
  6. Hong Kong (1) [7,069]
  7. London (6) [8,631]
  8. Sao Paulo (13) [20,262]
  9. Singapore (4) [4,837]
  10. Moscow (12) [10,550]
  11. Beijing (16) [12,385]
  12. Paris (14) [10,485]
  13. Toronto (9) [5,449]
  14. Mumbai (19) [20,041]
  15. San Francisco (10) [3,541]
  16. Washington DC (11) [4,460]
  17. Buenos Aires (22) [13,074]
  18. Los Angeles (21) [12,762]
  19. Mexico City (24) [19,460]
  20. Zurich (15) [2,000]
  21. Osaka-Kobe (20) [11,337]
  22. Boston (17) [4,593]
  23. Sydney (18) [4,429]
  24. Guangzhou (26)[8,884]
  25. Madrid (28) [5,851]
  26. Taipei (31) [6,900]
  27. Dallas (29) [4,951]
  28. Houston (23) [4,605]
  29. Berlin (32) [4,430]
  30. Brussels (25) [1,090]
  31. Rio de Janeiro (35) [11,950]
  32. Frankfurt (27) [2,300]
  33. Montreal (33) [3,783]
  34. Istanbul (39) [10,525]
  35. Vancouver (30) [2,117]
  36. Miami (34) [5,750]
  37. Philadelphia (42) [5,626]
  38. Delhi (43) [22,157]
  39. Atlanta (36) [4,691]
  40. Melbourne (38) [3,853]
  41. Vienna (45) [2400]
  42. Geneva (37) [191]
  43. Dubai (40) [2262]
  44. Amsterdam (46) [2159]
  45. Stockholm (44) [2100]
  46. Jersey (41) [98]
  47. Shenzhen (48) [9,005]
  48. Munich (49) [1353]
  49. Barcelona (50) [5,083]
  50. Kuala Lumpur (54) [7200]
  51. Manila (58) [11,628]
  52. Guernsey (47)
  53. Cairo (66) [11,001]
  54. Jakarta (56) [9,210]
  55. Bogota (67) [8,500]

Top 50 GFCs that are not in my list are: Wellington(NZ), Luxembourg, Qatar, Guernsey, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Copenhagen, Oslo, Helsinki, Isle of Man, Hamilton (Bermuda), Dublin, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, and Milan.

There are replaced (not in the same order) by cities that I think are more global cities: Moscow, Mumbai, Buenos Aires, Los Angeles, Guangzhou, Dallas, Houston, Berlin, Rio de Janeiro, Istanbul, Miami, Philadelphia, Delhi, Atlanta, Barcelona.

Alpha World Cities that are not on my list are: Milan, Bangkok, Dublin,  Jakarta, Johannesburg, Lisbon, Santiago, and Warsaw.  Cities on my list that are not Alpha World Cities are: Osaka, Guangzhou, Berlin, Rio de Janeiro, Houston, Montreal, Vancouver, Geneva, Stockholm,  Jersey, Shenzhen

Friday, January 27, 2012

Top 175 Cities

This is based heavily on the skyline ratings.

  1. Hong Kong (3)
  2. New York City (2)
  3. Chicago (7)
  4. Singapore (4)
  5. Shanghai (9)
  6. London (1)
  7. Tokyo (6)
  8. Seoul (13)
  9. Toronto (12)
  10. San Francisco (8)
  11. Washington DC (9)
  12. Moscow (17)
  13. São Paulo (18)
  14. Paris (10)
  15. Zurich (11)
  16. Beijing (21)
  17. Boston (14)
  18. Sydney (15)
  19. Mumbai (24)
  20. Osaka (23)
  21. Los Angeles (16)
  22. Buenos Aires (25)
  23. Houston (26)
  24. Mexico City (19)
  25. Brussels (20)
  26. Guangzhou (28)
  27. Frankfurt (22)
  28. Madrid (27)
  29. Dallas/Ft Worth (32)
  30. Vancouver (35)
  31. Taipei (30)
  32. Berlin (29)
  33. Montreal (31)
  34. Miami (34)
  35. Rio de Janeiro (37)
  36. Atlanta (39)
  37. Geneva (33)
  38. Melbourne (43)
  39. Istanbul (44)
  40. Dubai (45)
  41. Jersey (36)
  42. Philadelphia (40)
  43. Delhi/New Delhi (38)
  44. Stockholm (41)
  45. Vienna (46)
  46. Amsterdam (44)
  47. Guernsey (42)
  48. Shenzhen (53)
  49. Munich (52)
  50. Barcelona (50)
  51. Bangkok (65)
  52. Edinburgh (49)
  53. Isle of Man (48)
  54. Kuala Lumpur (59)
  55. Glasgow (51)
  56. Jakarta (66)
  57. Tianjin (72)
  58. Manila (67)
  59. Santiago (84)
  60. Seattle (69)
  61. Honolulu (86)
  62. Doha/Lusail, Qatar (77)
  63. Tel Aviv / Yaffo (71)
  64. Denver (76)
  65. Minneapolis (74)
  66. Cairo (68)
  67. Bogota (89)
  68. Caracas (93)
  69. Calgary (91)
  70. Pittsburgh (90)
  71. Detroit (94)
  72. Johannesburg (63)
  73. Brisbane (98)
  74. Wellington (54)
  75. Rome (55)
  76. Luxembourg (56)
  77. Copenhagen (57)
  78. Oslo (58)
  79. Helsinki (60)
  80. Dublin (61)
  81. Milan (62)
  82. Manama, Bahrain (64)
  83. St. Petersburg (107)
  84. Phoenix (70)
  85. San Diego/Tijuana (75)
  86. Warsaw (80)
  87. Prague (81)
  88. Riyadh (82)
  89. Auckland (83)
  90. Hamburg (85)
  91. Dusseldorf (87)
  92. Abu Dhabi (113)
  93. Kolkata (88)
  94. Jeddah (95)
  95. Hamilton, Bermuda (73)
  96. Busan (119)
  97. Lima (96)
  98. Brasilia (97)
  99. Brisbane (98)
  100. Stuttgart (99)
  101. Portland, OR (100)
  102. Road Town, British Virgin Islands (78)
  103. George Town, Cayman Islands (79)
  104. Chongqing (122)
  105. Macao (128)
  106. Yokohama (129)
  107. Kuwait City (127)
  108. Gibraltar (101)
  109. Monaco (102)
  110. Lisbon (103)
  111. Talinn (104)
  112. Port Louis, Mauritius (105)
  113. Malta (106)
  114. Nassau, Bahamas (108)
  115. Budapest (109)
  116. Reykjavik (110)
  117. Athens (111)
  118. Bangalore (112)
  119. Panama City (144)
  120. Karachi (114)
  121. Monterrey (115)
  122. Charlotte, NC (116)
  123. Cape Town (117)
  124. Ho Chi Min City (118)
  125. Chennai, India (120)
  126. St. Louis, MO (121)
  127. Wuhan, China (146)
  128. Gold Coast City (147)
  129. Curitiba, Brazil (none)
  130. Las Vegas (143)
  131. Nanjing, China (none)
  132. Dalian, China (none)
  133. Xiamen, China (none)
  134. Kyiv, Ukraine (none)
  135. Fortaleza, Brazil (none)
  136. Incheon, South Korea (149)
  137. Benidorm, Spain (none)
  138. Salvador, Brazil (none)
  139. Qingdao, China (none)
  140. Penang Island, Malaysia (150)
  141. Chengu, China (none)
  142. Sharjah, UAE (none)
  143. Shenyang, China (none)
  144. Kaohsiung, Taiwan (none)
  145. Hangzhou, China (none)
  146. Campinas, Brazil (none)
  147. Yekaterinburg, Russia (none)
  148. Belo Horizonte, Brazil (none)
  149. Ankara, Turkey (none)
  150. Belneario Camboriu, Brazil (none)
  151. Rotterdam (none)
  152. Xian, China (none)
  153. Porto Alegre, Brazil (none)
  154. Harbin, China (none)
  155. Rosario, Argentina (none)
  156. Minsk, Belarus (none)
  157. Tampa, FL (113)
  158. Hyderabad, India (124)
  159. Bern, Switzerland (125)
  160. Lyon, France (130)
  161. Ottawa (131)
  162. Lagos (132)
  163. Brunei (133)
  164. Sacramento, CA (134)
  165. Kansas City, MO (135)
  166. Brakin (Brazzaville-Kinshasa) (136)
  167. Durban, South Africa (137)
  168. Nairobi, Kenya (138)
  169. San Antonio, TX (139)
  170. Orlando, FL (140)
  171. Cincinnati, OH (141)
  172. Cleveland, OH (142)
  173. Recife, Brazil (145)
  174. Daegu, South Korea (148)
  175. Perth, Australia (none)

Top 150 Cities

This is based heavily on the Global Financial Center Rankings.  Cities in the top 50 on the previous list do not change more than 5 places, and other cities do not change more than 25. Previous ranking in parenthesis.

  1. London (4)
  2. New York City (1)
  3. Hong Kong (3)
  4. Singapore (7)
  5. Shanghai (9)
  6. Tokyo (2)
  7. Chicago (6)
  8. San Francisco (10)
  9. Washington DC (5)
  10. Paris (8)
  11. Zurich (16)
  12. Toronto (17)
  13. Seoul (14)
  14. Boston (12)
  15. Sydney (13)
  16. Los Angeles (11)
  17. Moscow (18)
  18. Sao Paolo (19)
  19. Mexico City (20)
  20. Brussels (15)
  21. Beijing (24)
  22. Frankfurt (27)
  23. Osaka (23)
  24. Mumbai (21)
  25. Buenos Aires (22)
  26. Houston (25)
  27. Madrid (26)
  28. Guangzhou (28)
  29. Berlin (29)
  30. Taipei (35)
  31. Montreal (36)
  32. Dallas/Ft Worth (30)
  33. Geneva (38)
  34. Miami (31)
  35. Vancouver (40)
  36. Jersey (41)
  37. Rio de Janeiro (32)
  38. Delhi/New Delhi (33)
  39. Atlanta (34)
  40. Philadelphia (37)
  41. Stockholm (46)
  42. Guernsey (42)
  43. Melbourne (48)
  44. Istanbul (39)
  45. Dubai (49)
  46. Vienna (45)
  47. Amsterdam (44)
  48. Isle of Man (43)
  49. Edinburgh (51)
  50. Barcelona (47)
  51. Glasgow (52)
  52. Munich (57)
  53. Shenzhen (60)
  54. Wellington (62)
  55. Rome (50)
  56. Luxembourg (63)
  57. Copenhagen (53)
  58. Oslo (74)
  59. Kuala Lumpur (58)
  60. Helsinki (70)
  61. Dublin (66)
  62. Milan (69)
  63. Johannesburg (61)
  64. Manama, Bahrain (85)
  65. Bangkok (65)
  66. Jakarta (59)
  67. Manila (55)
  68. Cairo (54)
  69. Seattle (56)
  70. Phoenix (64)
  71. Tel Aviv (67)
  72. Tianjin (68)
  73. Hamilton, Bermuda (91)
  74. Minneapolis (72)
  75. San Diego/Tijuana (73)
  76. Denver (71)
  77. Doha/Lusail, Qatar (101)
  78. Road Town, British Virgin Islands (93)
  79. George Town, Cayman Islands (94)
  80. Warsaw (114)
  81. Prague (116)
  82. Riyadh (92)
  83. Auckland (75)
  84. Santiago (76)
  85. Hamburg (77)
  86. Honolulu (79)
  87. Dusseldorf (80)
  88. Kolkata (81)
  89. Bogota (82)
  90. Pittsburgh (83)
  91. Calgary (84)
  92. Tehran (86)
  93. Caracas (87)
  94. Detroit (88)
  95. Jeddah (90)
  96. Lima (95)
  97. Brasilia (96)
  98. Brisbane (97)
  99. Stuttgart (98)
  100. Portland, OR (99)
  101. Gibraltar (none)
  102. Monaco (none)
  103. Lisbon (none)
  104. Talinn (none)
  105. Port Louis, Mauritius (none)
  106. Malta (none)
  107. St. Petersburg (121)
  108. Nassau, Bahamas (none)
  109. Budapest (none)
  110. Reykjavik (none)
  111. Athens (none)
  112. Bangalore (100)
  113. Abu Dhabi (102)
  114. Karachi (103)
  115. Monterrey (105)
  116. Charlotte, NC (106)
  117. Cape Town (107)
  118. Ho Chi Min City (88)
  119. Busan (90)
  120. Chennai, India(110)
  121. St. Louis, MO (92)
  122. Chonqing, China (112)
  123. Tampa, FL (113)
  124. Hyderabad, India (115)
  125. Bern, Switzerland (117)
  126. Dhaka, Bangladesh (118)
  127. Kuwait City (119)
  128. Macao (120)
  129. Yokohama (122)
  130. Lyon, France (123)
  131. Ottawa (124)
  132. Lagos (125)
  133. Brunei (none)
  134. Sacramento, CA (none)
  135. Kansas City, MO (none)
  136. Brakin (Brazzaville-Kinshasa) (none)
  137. Durban, South Africa (none)
  138. Nairobi, Kenya (none)
  139. San Antonio, TX (none)
  140. Orlando, FL (none)
  141. Cincinnati, OH (none)
  142. Cleveland, OH (none)
  143. Las Vegas, NV (none)
  144. Panama City (none)
  145. Recife, Brazil (none)
  146. Wuhan (none)
  147. Gold Coast City, Australia (none)
  148. Daegu, South Korea (none)
  149. Incheon, South Korea (none)
  150. Penang Island, Malaysia (none)

The top 50 economies of the world in 2050

#1 China $25.3 tn (apparently includes Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan)
#2 United States $22.3 tn
#3 India $8.1 tn
#4 Japan $6.4 tn
#5 Germany $3.7 tn
#6 United Kingdom $3.6 tn
#7 Brazil $3.0 tn
#8 Mexico $2.8 tn
#9 France $2.8 tn
#10 Canada $2.3 tn
#11 Italy $2.2 tn
#12 Turkey $2.1 tn
#13 South Korea $2.1 tn
#14 Spain $2.0 tn
#15 Russia $1.9 tn
#16 Philippines $1.7 tn
#17 Indonesia $1.5 tn
#18 Australia $1.5 tn
#19 Argentina $1.5 tn
#20 Egypt $1.2 tn
#21 Malaysia $1.2 tn
#22 Saudi Arabia $1.1 trillion
#23 Thailand $856 bn
#24 Netherlands $798 bn
#25 Poland $786 bn
#26 Peru $735 bn
#27 Iran $732 bn
#28 Colombia $725 bn
#29 Switzerland $711 bn
#30 Pakistan $675 bn
#31 Bangladesh $673 bn
#32 Chile $592 bn
#33 Venezuela $558 bn
#34 Algeria: $538 bn
#35 South Africa $529 bn
#36 Austria $520 bn
#37 Nigeria $515 bn
#38 Sweden: $507 bn
#39 Belgium: $481 bn
#40 Ukraine: $462 bn
#41 Vietnam: $451 bn
#42 Singapore: $441 bn
#43 Greece: $424 bn
#44 Israel: $402 bn
#45 Ireland: $386 bn
#46 Romania: $377 bn
#47 United Arab Emirates: $360 bn
#48 Norway: $352 bn
#49 Czech Republic $342 billion
#50 Portugal: $336 billion

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/these-economies-will-dominate-the-world-in-2050-2012-1#

City-States are the future

"In his book The End of the Nation State, Japanese business guru Kenichi Ohmae speaks of a borderless economy. He argues that, in the future, you might have several hundred city states which will replace nation states. If you consider Hong Kong, for example, as an illustration, or Barcelona, or London, or indeed New York. These are global cities; they point outwards into the global marketplace. They do not have that much to do with the hinterland, the nation of which they are a part."
--http://www.fathom.com/course/10701014/session2.html

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Moscow 2042

Top 125 Cities

Revised List. Cities in the top 50 on the previous list will not change more than 5 places. Cities in the top 100 will not change more than 25 places. Previous ranking in parenthesis.
  1. New York City (1)
  2. Tokyo (4)
  3. Hong Kong (5)
  4. London (2)
  5. Washington DC (3)
  6. Chicago (7)
  7. Singapore (9)
  8. Paris (8)
  9. Shanghai (11)
  10. San Francisco (12)
  11. Los Angeles (6)
  12. Boston (15)
  13. Sydney (18) [Ranked #15 as a GFC]
  14. Seoul (19)
  15. Brussels (10)
  16. Zurich (13) [Ranked #8 as a GFC]
  17. Toronto/Mississauga (22)
  18. Moscow (20)
  19. Sao Paolo (14)
  20.  Mexico City (16)
  21. Mumbai (26)
  22. Buenos Aires (17)
  23. Osaka (27)
  24. Beijing (21)
  25. Houston (29)
  26. Madrid (25)
  27. Frankfurt (23) [Ranked #16 as a GFC]
  28. Guangzhou (33)
  29. Berlin (24)
  30. Dallas/Ft Worth (31)
  31. Miami (36)
  32. Rio de Janeiro (35)
  33. Delhi/New Delhi (28)
  34. Atlanta (34)
  35. Taipei (30)
  36. Montreal (39)
  37. Philadelphia (32) 
  38. Geneva (37) [Ranked #13 as a GFC]
  39. Istanbul (41)
  40. Vancouver (42) [Ranked #17 as a GFC]
  41. Jersey (38) [Ranked #21 as a GFC]
  42. Guernsey (38) [Ranked #31 as a GFC]
  43. Isle of Man (38)[Ranked #40 as a GFC]
  44. Amsterdam (43)
  45. Vienna (40)
  46. Stockholm (44) 
  47. Barcelona (45)
  48. Melbourne (52) [Ranked #18 as a GFC]
  49. Dubai (46) [Ranked #36 as a GFC]
  50. Rome (47)
  51. Edinburgh (48) [Ranked #32 as a GFC]
  52. Glasgow (48) [Ranked #33 as a GFC]
  53. Copenhagen (49)
  54. Cairo (50)
  55. Manila (51)
  56. Seattle (53)
  57. Munich (55)
  58. Kuala Lumpur (56)
  59. Jakarta (65)
  60. Shenzhen (66)
  61. Johannesburg (77)
  62. Wellington, New Zealand (60) [Ranked #27 as a GFC]
  63. Luxembourg (75) [Ranked #29 as a GFC]
  64. Phoenix (58)
  65. Bangkok (64)
  66. Dublin (78)
  67. Tel Aviv (81)
  68. Tianjin (68)
  69. Milan (89)
  70. Helsinki (83)
  71. Denver (67)
  72. Minneapolis (54)
  73. San Diego/Tijuana (59)
  74. Oslo (82) 
  75. Auckland (60)
  76. Santiago (73)
  77. Hamburg (none) 
  78. Minneapolis (54)
  79. Honolulu (none)
  80. Dusseldorf (none) 
  81. Kolkata, India (57)   
  82. Bogota (80)
  83. Pittsburgh (none) 
  84. Calgary (none)
  85. Manama, Bahrain (61) [Ranked #55 as a GFC]
  86. Tehran, Iran (62)
  87. Caracas, Venezuela (none)
  88. Detroit (87)
  89. Jakarta, Indonesia (65)
  90. Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (none)
  91. Hamilton, Bermuda (70) [Ranked #41 as a GFC]
  92. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (69)
  93. Road Town, BVI (70) [Ranked #45 as a GFC]
  94. George Town, Cayman Islands (70) [Ranked #46 as a GFC]
  95. Lima, Peru (71)
  96.  Brasilia, Brazil (72)
  97. Brisbane, Australia (none) 
  98. Stuttgart, Germany (none) 
  99. Portland, OR (99)
  100. Bangalore (76)
  101. Doha, Qatar (93) [Ranked #30 as a GFC]
  102. Abu Dhabi (98)
  103. Karachi, Pakastan (79)
  104. Bogota, Colombia (80)
  105. Monterrey, Mexico (84)
  106. Charlotte, NC (85)
  107. Cape Town, South Africa (86)
  108. Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam (88)
  109. Busan, Korea (90)
  110. Chennai, India (91)
  111. St. Louis, MO (92)
  112. Chonqing, China (94)
  113. Tampa, FL (95)
  114. Warsaw (96)
  115. Hyderabad, India (97)
  116. Prague (100)
  117. Bern, Switzerland (none)
  118. Dhaka, Bangladesh (none)
  119. Kuwait City (none)
  120. Macao (none)
  121. St. Petersburg, Russia (none)
  122. Yokohama (none)
  123. Lyon, France (none)
  124. Ottawa, Canada (none)
  125. Lagos, Nigeria (none)

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Largest Cities in Africa

These are in reverse order, with the largest at the bottom:

50 - N'Djamena, Chad
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Monrovia, Liberia
Maiduguri, Nigeria
Fes, Morocco
Cotonou, Benin
Freetown, Sierra Leone
Tripoli, Libya
Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Benin City, Nigeria
Oran, Algeria
Brazzaville, Congo
Mogadishu, Somalia
Mbuji Mayi, DR Congo
Lubumbashi, DR Congo
Kumasi, Ghana
Kaduna, Nigeria
Conakry, Guinea
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Yaounde, Cameroon
Lusaka, Zambia
Antananarivo, Madagascar
Rabat, Moroco
Maputo, Mozambique
Bamako, Mali
Kampala, Uganda
Abuja, Nigeria
Douala, Cameroon
Harare, Zimbabwe
Tunis, Tunisia
Pretoria, South Africa
Dakar, Senegal
Luanda, Angola
Algiers, Algeria
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Ibadan, Nigeria
Kano, Nigeria
Nairobi, Kenya
Accra, Ghana
Durban, South Africa
Cape Town, South Africa
Casablanca, Morocco
Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire
Alexandria, Egypt
Khartoum, Sudan
Johannesburg, South Africa
Kinshasa, DR Congo
Lagos, Nigeria
1. Cairo, Egypt

Best Cities in America

  1.  Raleigh, NC
  2. Arlington, VA
  3. Honolulu, HI
  4. Scottsdale, AZ
  5. Irvine, CA
  6. Washington, DC
  7. San Diego, CA
  8. Virginia Beach, VA
  9. San Francisco, CA
  10. Anchorage, AK
  11. Plano, TX
  12. Austin, TX
  13. Seattle, WA
  14. New York City, NY
  15. Albuquerque, NM
  16. Boston, MA
  17. Madison, WI
  18. Colorado Springs, CO
  19. Portland, OR
  20. Charlotte, NC
  21. Chesapeake, VA
  22. Lincoln, NE
  23. San Jose, CA
  24. Pittsburgh, PA
  25. Lexington, KY
  26. Jacksonville, FL
  27. Denver, CO
  28. Nashville, TN
  29. New Orleans, LA
  30. Minneapolis, MN
  31. Greensboro, NC
  32. Atlanta, GA
  33. Boise, ID
  34. Omaha, NE
  35. Houston, TX
  36. Oklahoma City, OK
  37. Durham, NC
  38. Henderson (Las Vegas), NV
  39. St. Paul, MN
  40. San Antonio, TX
  41. Gilbert (Phoenix), AZ
  42. Dallas, TX
  43. Kansas City, MO
  44. Reno, NV
  45. Chandler (Phoenix), AZ
  46. Winston-Salem, NC
  47. Tampa, FL
  48. Oakland, CA
  49. Phoenix, AZ
  50. Irving, TX
Source: http://images.businessweek.com/slideshows/20110920/america-s-50-best-cities/slides/2

Global Financial Cities Index

Yet another list of the top cities:

1 London
2 United States
3 Hong Kong
4 Singapore
5 Shanghai
6 Tokyo
7 Chicago
8 Zurich
9 San Francisco
10 Toronto
11 Seoul
12 Boston
13 Geneva
14 Washington, D.C.
15 Sydney
16 Frankfurt am Main
17 Vancouver
18 Melbourne
19 Beijing
20 Montreal
21 Jersey
22 Munich
23 Taipei
24 Paris
25 Shenzhen
26 Osaka
27 Wellington
28 Stockholm
29 Luxembourg
30 Doha

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Financial_Centres_Index

Most Economically Powerful Cities

  1. Tokyo
  2. New York
  3. London
  4. Chicago
  5. Paris
  6. Boston
  7. Hong Kong
  8. Osaka
  9. Washington DC
  10. Seoul
  11. Sydney
  12. Toronto
  13. Beijing
  14. Madrid
  15. Sao Paulo
  16. Mexico City
  17. Melbourne
  18. Singapore
  19. Montreal
  20. Vancouver
  21. Vienna
  22. Shanghai
  23. Buenos Aires
  24. Stockholm
  25. Dublin
Source: http://www.theatlanticcities.com/jobs-and-economy/2011/09/25-most-economically-powerful-cities-world/109/#slide1

Best Places to Live

1 Vienna
2 Zurich
3 Auckland
4 Munich
5 Düsseldorf
6 Vancouver
7 Frankfurt
8 Geneva
9 Bern
9 Copenhagen
11 Sydney
12 Amsterdam
13 Wellington
14 Ottawa
15 Toronto
16 Hamburg
17 Berlin
18 Melbourne
19 Luxembourg
20 Stockholm
21 Perth
22 Brussels
23 Montreal
24 Nurnberg
25 Singapore
26 Canberra
27 Dublin
28 Stuttgart
29 Honolulu, HI
30 Adelaide
31 Paris
32 San Francisco, CA
33 Calgary
34 Oslo
35 Helsinki
36 Boston, MA
37 Brisbane
38 London
39 Lyon
40 Barcelona
41 Lisbon
42 Milan
43 Chicago, IL
44 Madrid
45 Washington, DC
46 Tokyo
47 New York City, NY
48 Seattle, WA
49 Kobe
50 Pittsburgh, PA
51 Yokohama

Site: http://www.mercer.com/press-releases/quality-of-living-report-2011

Countries with the most millionaires

1. US 4,715,000
2. Japan 1,230,000
3. China 670,000
4. United Kingdom 485,000
5. Germany 430,000
6. Italy 300,000
7. Switzerland 283,000
8. France 280,000
9. Taiwan 230,000
10. Hong Kong 205,000
11. Canada 162,000
12. Belgium 158,000
13. Netherlands 152,000
14. Spain 148,000
15. India 140,000
16. Australia 137,000
17. Brazil 127,000
18. Singapore 123,000
19. Saudi Arabia 117,000
20. South Korea 92,000

Source:  http://images.businessweek.com/ss/10/06/0615_global_millionaires/

Most Billionaires per City

These cities have the most number of billionaires:

1. New York
2. Moscow
3. London
4. Hong Kong
5. Mumbai
6. Istanbul
7. San Francisco
8. Shanghai
9. Paris
10. Beijing
11. Chicago
12. Shenzhen
13. Los Angeles
14. Houston
15. Dallas – Fort Worth
16. Tokyo
17. Guangzhou
18. Dubai
19. Singapore
20. Jeddah
21. Sao Paulo
22. Taipei
23. Amsterdam
24. Riyadh
25. Hangzhou

Source: http://www.spearswms.com/spears-world/wire/29532/wealthinsight-dubai-billionaire-capital-of-middle-east.thtml

=================
Here is another list of cities with the most billionaires:
1. Moscow
2. New York
3. London
4. Hong Kong
5. Istanbul
6. Mumbai
7. Sao Paulo
8. Taipei
9. Los Angeles
10. Beijing
11. San Francisco
12. Dallas
13. Shanghai
14. Seoul
15. Tokyo

Source: http://www.forbes.com/2011/05/17/cities-with-most-billionaires_slide.html

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Three colossal museums to be built in Abu Dhabi

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — A long-delayed project to build three colossal museums on an arid Persian Gulf island will be finished by 2017, officials say, realizing the designs of some of the world’s leading architects while underlining the ambitions of this city to emerge as a global capital.

The new date, which will be announced Wednesday, serves as a declaration that Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, will move ahead with one of the most remarkable art and culture projects in the world, despite protests prompted by workers’ conditions, fears of a financial bubble like the one that hit neighboring Dubai and qualms over a vision, both at home and abroad, that one architect called the artistic equivalent of “shock and awe.”

A veil of secrecy has concealed deliberations over the museums, a branch of the Guggenheim designed by Frank Gehry, an outpost of the Louvre planned by Jean Nouvel and a national museum rendered by Lord Norman Foster, all part of a $27 billion cultural and tourism project known as Saadiyat Island. The silence was so stark that not even employees of the lead government agency knew when the museums would be built.

But even if the museums move forward as promised — the planned sites are still sandy lots save for work on the concrete and steel foundations — the question that has bedeviled the most ambitious Persian Gulf emirates since oil was discovered remains: Can atomized cities with money and abundant vision will into existence their standing as world capitals? And now, can they do so at a time of deep unease in the region and local fears of losing their cultural identity?
--http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/25/world/middleeast/abu-dhabi-reaffirms-its-grand-plan-for-museums.html

World's tallest skyscraper to be built in Azerbaijan

"A local investor is hoping to build a 185-storey building in Sahil (formerly Primorsk) in the southwestern suburbs of Baku. The State Committee for Construction and Architecture has not yet received an offical application from the developer, the committee's deputy chairman, Dovlatkhan Dovlatkhanov, told Fineko.
He said that local investor Haji Ibrahim had started preliminary work on the project.
"As far as we know, the investor has already hired an architect, who has designed the initial sketch of the project which encompasses an offshore area in addition to the coastal zone and envisages the construction of artificial islands," Dovletkhanov said.

"The construction of a 185-floor building in the Baku settlement of Sahil is technically feasible. More detailed information will be provided after the fully developed project has been reviewed by specialists of the State Committee and the Ministry for Emergency Situations's evaluation committee," Dovletkhanov said.

A source in the Emergencies Ministry confirmed to Fineko that the project would be technically possible, but questioned whether it was needed at all.

Azerbaijan has experience of creating artificial land mass. Back in 1925 Lenin’s Cove, as it was then known, in Bibi Heybat was filled in.  If Haji Ibrahim's project sees the light of day, the Baku (Sahil) skyscraper will be taller than the world's tallest building - the Burj Khalifa in Dubai."
--http://www.news.az/articles/society/52073

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Reserve currency tipping point hypothesis

Ok, here is another crazy thought. The only thing keeping the US dollar from collapsing right now is the fact that it is the global currency and no replacement is in sight.

But what if there is a replacement?  What if the combined currencies from my hypothetical South Pacific Confederation become the replacement?  So my hypothesis is that if the combined South Pacific currencies are used more than the US dollar, then that will be a tipping point causing abandonment of faith in the dollar, and then hyperinflation of the dollar into oblivion.

What if the South Pacific currencies (as well as the yuan) increase by 10% per year, and the US dollar decreases by 2/3 of that (with the other 1/3 decrease coming from the use of the euro, yen and pound).  When would the tipping point occur?

As a starting point, here are the daily share of traded currencies (from Wikipedia):
US dollar 84.9%
Euro 39.1%
Japanese yen 19.0%
UK pound 12.9%
Australian dollar 7.6%
Hong Kong dollar 2.4%
New Zealand dollar 1.6%
South Korean won 1.5%
Singapore dollar 1.4%

I calculate this will occur in 2027.  At that point 61% of all Forex transactions will use the Australian dollar, Hong Kong dollar, New Zealand dollar, Singapore dollar, South Korean won, or Chinese yuan. The US dollar will be used in only 54% of transactions.  The euro, yen and pound combined will be used in 56% of transactions, and other currencies will be used in 30% of transactions.  (The total equals 200% because we are looking at both sides of the currency pair).

At that point the US dollar will no longer be an essential part of the world economy.  It will still be a major player, but our unlimited license to print money card will be revoked.

=====================
Update: The trend is definitely happening, but it is a lot slower than I stated above.  Better numbers are that the South Pacific currencies will increase by 3.2% per year, with the US dollar decreasing by 2/3 of that.  Using these figures, the tipping point will occur in 2051, when the US dollar will account for only 57.1% of all transactions, and the South Pacific currencies accounting for 57.5%.

See http://www.bis.org/publ/rpfxf10t.htm for data on currencies.

=============
Upon further reflection, I don't think this is a valid way of looking at things.  A basket of currencies will not be a replacement for the dollar.  For there to be a threat, there needs to be a single currency that is credible enough to be a replacement.  And I don't think the Australian dollar will ever be that currency.  It is an interesting thought experiment though.

Lira on Keiser

The Perth Mint



The Australian Dollar as a proxy currency

I think the Australian Dollar can be seen as a proxy or representative currency of all the other currencies of countries in my proposed South Pacific Confederation. Here are the other currencies and their exchange rates:

AUD/USD: 1.0474, UP from .9871 1 year ago
AUD/HKD: 8.129, UP from 7.773 1 year ago
AUD/KRW: 1186.8, UP from 1118.0 1 year ago
AUD/MYR: 3.2529, UP from 3.0471 1 year ago
AUD/NZD: 1.2989, DOWN from 1.3028 1 year ago
AUD/SGD: 1.3327, UP from 1.2701 1 year ago
AUD/TWD: 31.38, UP from 28.9 1 year ago
AUD/XPF: 96.997, UP from 86.88 1 year ago

Most Free Countries

Here is the list of the Top 20 Free Countries

  1. Hong Kong
  2. Singapore
  3. Australia
  4. New Zealand
  5. Switzerland
  6. Canada
  7. Chile
  8. Mauritius
  9. Ireland
  10. United States
  11. Denmark
  12. Bahrain
  13. Luxembourg
  14. United Kingdom
  15. Netherlands
  16. Estonia
  17. Finland
  18. Taiwan
  19. Macau
  20. Cyprus
--http://www.heritage.org/Index/ranking

Top Cities in the South Pacific

Here are the top 20 cities in my proposed South Pacific Confederation.  The ranking is somewhat arbitrary, but cities with more skyscrapers and population are ranked higher, in general.
  1. Hong Kong *
  2. Singapore *
  3. Sydney *
  4. Seoul
  5. Taipei*
  6. Melbourne
  7. Kuala Lumpur*
  8. Honolulu
  9. Busan, South Korea*
  10. Auckland
  11. Macau
  12. Gold Coast City
  13. Daegu-Gyeongbuk, South Korea
  14. Incheon, South Korea
  15. Brisbane
  16. Penang Island, Malaysia
  17. Perth
  18. Kaohsiung, Taiwan
  19. Wellington*
  20. Adelaide
* has stock exchange

The South Pacific Confederation

This is my idea for a proposed political and economic alliance in the South Pacific, called the South Pacific Confederation.  It is made up of 13 countries and territories which are all highly developed. I have "cherry-picked" the countries, excluding countries and territories which are too large (Indonesia) or too small or too poor (Philippines).

I think of this as the "Australian Empire".  It is a region that is connected with the rise of China, but is independent of it.

Countries:
  • Australia
  • Brunei
  • French Polynesia (French territory)
  • Guam (U.S. territory)
  • Hawaii (U.S. state)
  • Hong Kong (Chinese S.A.R.)
  • Macau (Chinese S.A.R.)
  • Malaysia
  • New Caledonia (French territory)
  • New Zealand
  • Singapore
  • South Korea
  • Taiwan
Total Population: 143 million
Total GDP(ppp): $4.6 trillion

The political capital is Singapore.  The financial capital is Sydney, and the military capital is Honolulu.  I exclude Hong Kong because of its tenuous political situation.

The currency used is the Australian dollar (AUD).  This is because the Australian economy is the second largest of the group (behind only South Korea), and the AUD is more frequently traded than the won.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Preppers

"A former Army intelligence officer, [James] Rawles has written fiction and non-fiction books on end-of-civilization topics, including "How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It," which is also known as the preppers' Bible.
"We could see a cascade of higher interest rates, margin calls, stock market collapses, bank runs, currency revaluations, mass street protests, and riots," he told Reuters. "The worst-case end result would be a Third World War, mass inflation, currency collapses, and long term power grid failures."
A sense of "suffering and being afraid" is usually at the root of this kind of thinking, according to Cathy Gutierrez, an expert on end-times beliefs at Sweet Briar College in Virginia. Such feelings are not unnatural in a time of economic recession and concerns about a growing national debt, she said.
"With our current dependence on things from the electric grid to the Internet, things that people have absolutely no control over, there is a feeling that a collapse scenario can easily emerge, with a belief that the end is coming, and it is all out of the individual's control," she told Reuters."
--http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/21/us-usa-civilization-collapse-idUSTRE80K0LA20120121

Could the Australian dollar be a reserve currency?

The Australian dollar is the 5th or 6th most traded currency behind the US dollar, euro, yen, pound and maybe the Swiss franc.  Australia has much less debt per person ($12,470) than the countries behind the other currencies.

"The rational reaction of sovereign holders of US dollars who see the writing on the wall (that is, that the value of their US assets is likely to fall) and, furthermore, recognise that we are currently experiencing a major shift in the global centre of economic gravity away from the North Atlantic economies to Asia. ...

And since it is hard to trade the Chinese currency, one of the next best things is a proximate, lowly leveraged, and politically stable economy that has a liquid exchange rate and is highly integrated with the Middle Kingdom's fortunes. Yes, you guessed, it – the Sunburnt Country".
--http://www.switzer.com.au/the-experts/christopher-joye/is-the-aussie-dollar-becoming-a-global-reserve-currency/

"The Australian dollar is attractive to central banks because it has solid public finances, unlike the US, UK, and certain euro zone members.  Moreover, Australia is a big exporter of raw materials to several emerging market economies.  For these countries, buying the Australia dollar is grabbing a claim on Australia’s bountiful natural resources."
--http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/137346/20110422/australian-dollar-reserve-currency.htm

"in Aussie dollars, gold is worth the same today as it was two years ago"
--http://scottgrannis.blogspot.com/2011/04/central-bank-update-fed-is-behind-curve.html

"The ascent of the Australian dollar has largely been at the expense of the US dollar. America has been flooding global financial markets with US dollars, thereby reducing its value. It is part of a last ditch attempt to stimulate markets by providing easy money.

The chief currency strategist at Westpac Robert Rennie blames the US Federal Reserve for pumping so many extra US dollars into the global financial system. "The ultimate source of this liquidity really is the Fed. As the Fed increases the size of its balance sheet and pumps money into the US economy and the global financial system, one of the areas that it ends up in is in the demand for the Australian dollar," he explained.

Robert Rennie says that has put the Australian dollar front and centre on the international stage."

--http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-06-20/russian-central-bank-buys-up-aussie-dollars/2764936

"Australia owes its popularity among currency traders to 3 G's – geology, geography and government policy. Geology has given the company a wealth of natural resources that are in high demand, including oil, gold, agricultural products, diamonds, iron ore, uranium, nickel and coal. Geography has positioned the company as a choice trading partner for many fast-growing Asian economies with nearly insatiable resource demands. Government policy has led to fairly stable high interest rates, a stable government and economy, a lack of intervention in the currency markets, and a Western approach to business and the rule of law that has not always been typical in the region."

Read more: http://www.investopedia.com/articles/forex/11/aud-fx-traders-should-know.asp

==============
Update:  The AUD/USD is the 4th most traded currency pair.

How to fix the Arc de Triomphe



Traffic around the Arc de Triomphe in Paris is insane, because of poor planning. Here is my suggestion for fixing it.

First, split the the roundabout into two parts, the outer circle and the inner circle. The inner circle would be used only by traffic from the Champs Elysees/Grand-Armee. All other traffic would have to use the outer circle.

There would be 2 intersections on either side of the Arc, and there would need to be 3 stoplights at each intersection. On green, incoming traffic from the Champs Elysees could enter, and could choose either the inner circle or outer circle. Synchronized with this, a green would allow traffic in the inner circle to exit. When these are red, the outer circle light would be green, and the outer traffic could either turn right to exit, go straight, or enter the inner circle.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Proposed Russian Lunar Base

"Russia is talking with the US and Europe on plans to create a manned research base on the moon, the head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos said Thursday.

Roscosmos is discussing the possibilities for a permanent moon base with officials from NASA and the European Space Agency, the agency's chief, Vladimir Popovkin said.

"We don't want man to just step on the moon," Popovkin told Vesti FM radio station, according to the Ria Novosti news agency. "Today, we know enough about it, we know that there is water in its polar areas ... we are now discussing how to begin [the moon's] exploration with NASA and the European Space Agency."

He said the plan was either to set up a base on the moon or launch a station to orbit around it.

Russia also is planning to send two unmanned mission to the moon by 2020, Popovkin said."

Read more: http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpps/news/russia-us-moon-base-nasa-dpgonc-20110119-to-_17194074

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Umka


Russia plans to build a city deep inside the arctic circle housing 5000 residents, under a vast dome.

"The Umka designs are based on the International Space Station, but it is vast by comparison - just short of one mile long and 800 yards wide.

'So far it's the only project in the world with an artificial climate and integral life support - just like on the space station. Not only is it a new word in architecture, but in human living too. We have used aero and space technologies while creating it.'

Electricity will be supplied by a floating nuclear power station."

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2052862/Russia-plans-build-frozen-community-1-000-miles-North-Pole.html

Bangkok, city of modern ruins


"But many of those who failed in the crisis either can't be bothered or can't afford to restart their building projects, leaving Bangkok with more modern ruins than probably any other big city in the world, according to architectural experts.

..Engineers say many incomplete towers can't survive much longer than 10 years in Bangkok's blistering tropical heat and rain before suffering significant structural damage. The buildings won't necessarily fall down, but the cost of repairing or reinforcing their rusted-out beams becomes prohibitively high."
--http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?p=2990280

Shanghai Tower



One of the coolest things about it is the wind turbines near the top.

Modern day ghost towns

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

The empty city of Ordos






More empty skyscrapers

Underground Helsinki

Monday, January 16, 2012

Sewage at the Burj Khalifa

The tallest building in the world isn't connected to a sewage system.  Instead they haul the sewage away in trucks.

See: http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2011/11/the-tallest-building-in-the-world-would-be-poop-without-trucks/
http://boingboing.net/2011/11/08/what-happens-when-you-flush-a-toilet-in-the-worlds-tallest-building.html

====================
The Burj Khalifa is practically empty:

"This symbol of the pre-financial crisis building boom opened practically empty, after all.  In late 2010, according to local business reports, about 825 of its 900 condos were unoccupied. ...for now at least, it is plainly no towering achievement in urban planning."
--http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/theskyline/2012/01/isthe-worlds-tallest-buildinghaving-its-king-kong-moment-two-years-afterdubais-burj-khalifa-opened-amida-blaze-of-fireworks.html

Skyline Ranking

  1. Hong Kong
  2. New York City
  3. Chicago
  4. Singapore
  5. São Paulo
  6. Seoul
  7. Dubai
  8. Shanghai
  9. Bangkok
  10. Tokyo
  11. Guangzhou
  12. Moscow
  13. Toronto
  14. Shenzhen
  15. Chongqing
  16. Kuala Lumpur
  17. Beijing
  18. Rio de Janeiro
  19. Mumbai
  20. Macao
  21. Osaka
  22. Jakarta
  23. Buenos Aires
  24. Istanbul
  25. Recife
  26. Miami
  27. Sydney
  28. Panama City
  29. Melbourne
  30. Wuhan
  31. Vancouver
  32. Houston
  33. Honolulu
  34. Busan
  35. Gold Coast City
  36. London
  37. Mexico City
  38. Curitiba
  39. Los Angeles
  40. Tianjin
  41. Atlanta
  42. Caracas
  43. Makati (Manila)
  44. Las Vegas
  45. St. Petersburg
  46. Nanjing
  47. San Francisco
  48. Dallas
  49. Paris
  50. Santiago

Source: http://www.emporis.com/statistics/skyline-ranking

Mecca Clock Tower



Officially named Abraj Al Bait, this is the second tallest building in the world at 1,972 feet, behind only the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. It is the largest building in the world by floor space at 1.5 million square meters. The clock face is 43 meters in diameter (about 141 feet).

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Jeddah

Miapolis

Roundabout in Normal, Illinois

Doha, Qatar

Lusail, Qatar



Dholera, India



Elevated walkway planned for Dubai


"The glass tube-like walkway will connect the skyscraper and the adjoining Dubai Mall to the nearby metro station, as Emirates 24/7 reports. The walkway will be roughly 820 meters long, with a central pedestrian passage flanked on each side by five moving walkways (or as Emirates 24/7 awesomely calls them, “travelators”). Emaar Properties, developer of Downtown Dubai, estimates that its new walkway can handle a peak capacity of 13,500 pedestrians per hour."
--http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2012/01/plans-air-conditioned-stroll-burj-khalifa-dubai-metro/887/

Best countries for business

  1. Hong Kong SAR
  2. United States
  3. United Kingdom
  4. Singapore
  5. Australia
  6. Canada
  7. Netherlands
  8. Japan
  9. Switzerland
  10. Norway
  11. Sweden
  12. France
  13. Belgium
  14. Germany
  15. Denmark
  16. Malaysia
  17. Spain
  18. Korea, Rep.
  19. China
  20. Austria
  21. Finland
  22. Ireland
  23. Saudi Arabia
  24. Bahrain
  25. United Arab Emirates
  26. Israel
  27. Italy
  28. Kuwait
  29. South Africa
  30. Brazil
Source: http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_FinancialDevelopmentReport_2011.pdf

Friday, January 13, 2012

Largest Cities of the World

1. Tokyo, Japan - 32,450,000
2. Seóul, South Korea - 20,550,000
3. Mexico City, Mexico - 20,450,000
4. New York City, USA - 19,750,000
5. Mumbai, India - 19,200,000
6. Jakarta, Indonesia - 18,900,000
7. Sáo Paulo, Brazil - 18,850,000
8. Delhi, India - 18,680,000
9. Õsaka/Kobe, Japan - 17,350,000
10. Shanghai, China - 16,650,000

11. Manila, Philippines - 16,300,000
12. Los Angeles, USA - 15,250,000
13. Calcutta, India - 15,100,000
14. Moscow, Russian Fed. - 15,000,000
15. Cairo, Egypt - 14,450,000
16. Lagos, Nigeria - 13,488,000
17. Buenos Aires, Argentina - 13,170,000
18. London, United Kingdom - 12,875,000
19. Beijing, China - 12,500,000
20. Karachi, Pakistan - 11,800,000

21. Dhaka, Bangladesh - 10,979,000
22. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 10,556,000
23. Tianjin, China - 10,239,000
24. Paris, France - 9,638,000
25. Istanbul, Turkey - 9,413,000
26. Lima, Peru - 7,443,000
27. Tehrãn, Iran - 7,380,000
28. Bangkok, Thailand - 7,221,000
29. Chicago, USA - 6,945,000
30. Bogotá, Colombia - 6,834,000

31. Hyderabad, India - 6,833,000
32. Chennai, India - 6,639,000
33. Essen, Germany - 6,559,000
34. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam - 6,424,519
35. Hangzhou, China - 6,389,000
36. Hong Kong, China - 6,097,000
37. Lahore, Pakistan - 6,030,000
38. Shenyang, China - 5,681,000
39. Changchun, China - 5,566,000
40. Bangalore, India - 5,544,000

41. Harbin, China - 5,475,000
42. Chengdu, China - 5,293,000
43. Santiago, Chile - 5,261,000
44. Guangzhou, China - 5,162,000
45. St. Petersburg, Russian Fed. - 5,132,000
46. Kinshasa, DRC - 5,068,000
47. Baghdãd, Iraq - 4,796,000
48. Jinan, China - 4,789,000
49. Houston, USA - 4,750,000
50. Toronto, Canada - 4,657,000
51. Yangon, Myanmar (Burma) - 4,458,000
52. Alger, Algeria - 4,447,000
53. Philadelphia, USA - 4,398,000
54. Qingdao, China - 4,376,000
55. Milano, Italy - 4,251,000
56. Pusan, South Korea - 4,239,000
57. Belo Horizonte, Brazil - 4,160,000
58. Almadabad, India - 4,154,000
59. Madrid, Spain - 4,072,000
60. San Francisco, USA - 4,051,000

61. Alexandria, Egypt - 3,995,000
62. Washington DC, USA - 3,927,000
63. Wuhan, China - 3,918,000
64. Dallas, USA - 3,912,000
65. Guadalajara, Mexico - 3,908,000
66. Chongging, China - 3,896,000
67. Medellin, Colombia - 3,831,000
68. Detroit, USA - 3,785,000
69. Handan, China - 3,763,000
70. Frankfurt, Germany - 3,700,000

71. Porto Alegre, Brazil - 3,699,000
72. Hanoi, Vietnam - 3,678,000
73. Sydney, Australia - 3,665,000
74. Santo Domingo, Dom. Rep. - 3,601,000
75. Singapore, Singapore - 3,587,000
76. Casablanca, Morocco - 3,535,000
77. Katowice, Poland - 3,488,000
78. Pune, India - 3,485,000
79. Bangdung, Indonesia - 3,420,000
80. Monterrey, Mexico - 3,416,000

81. Montréal, Canada - 3,401,000
82. Nagoya, Japan - 3,377,000
83. Nanjing, China - 3,375,000
84. Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire - 3,359,000
85. Xi'an, China - 3,352,000
86. Berlin, Germany - 3,337,000
87. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - 3,328,000
88. Recife, Brazil - 3,307,000
89. Dusseldorf, Germany - 3,251,000
90. Ankara, Turkey - 3,190,000

91. Melbourne, Australia - 3,188,000
92. Salvador, Brazil - 3,180,000
93. Dalian, China - 3,153,000
94. Caracas, Venezuela - 3,153,000
95. Adis Abeba, Ethiopia - 3,112,000
96. Athina, Greece - 3,103,000
97. Cape Town, South Africa - 3,092,000
98. Koln, Germany - 3.067,000
99. Maputo, Mozambique - 3,017,000
100. Napoli, Italy - 3,012,000



Source: http://www.worldatlas.com/citypops.htm

Global Cities Index

Another list of the top global cities.

  1. New York
  2. London
  3. Tokyo
  4. Paris
  5. Hong Kong
  6. Chicago
  7. Los Angeles
  8. Singapore
  9. Sydney
  10. Seoul
  11. Brussels
  12. San Francisco
  13. Washington DC
  14. Toronto
  15. Beijing
  16. Berlin
  17. Madrid
  18. Vienna
  19. Boston
  20. Frankfurt
  21. Shanghai
  22. Buenos Aires
  23. Stockholm
  24. Zurich
  25. Moscow
  26. Barcelona
  27. Dubai
  28. Rome
  29. Amsterdam
  30. Mexico City
  31. Montreal
  32. Geneva
  33. Munich
  34. Miami
  35. Sao Paulo
  36. Bangkok
  37. Copenhagen
  38. Houston
  39. Taipei
  40. Atlanta
  41. Istanbul
  42. Milan
  43. Cairo
  44. Dublin
  45. New Delhi
  46. Mumbai
  47. Osaka
  48. Kuala Lumpur
  49. Rio de Janeiro
  50. Tel Aviv
  51. Manila
  52. Johannesburg
  53. Jakarta
  54. Bogota
  55. Caracas
  56. Nairobi
  57. Guangzhou
  58. Bangalore
  59. Lagos
  60. Karachi
  61. Ho Chi Minh City
  62. Shenzhen
  63. Kolkata
  64. Dhaka
  65. Chongqing

Source: http://www.atkearney.com/images/global/pdf/Urban_Elite-GCI_2010.pdf

Petrodollar warfare hypothesis

"Most oil sales throughout the world are denominated in US Dollars, and according to proponents of the petrodollar warfare hypothesis, because most countries rely on oil imports, they are forced to maintain large stockpiles of Dollars in order to continue imports.

This creates a consistent demand for US Dollars and upwards pressure on its value, regardless of economic conditions in the United States. This in turn allows the US government to gain revenues through seignorage and by issuing bonds at lower interest rates than they otherwise would be able to. As a result the US government can run higher budget deficits at a more sustainable level than can most other countries."
--http://newamerica-now.blogspot.com/2012/01/russian-move-against-us-called-first.html

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Baluarte Bridge


The Baluarte Bridge in Mexico was inaugurated on Januar 5, 2012. It is the world's tallest at 1322 feet above the ravine below.

Epic Failure - Fontainebleau


Fontainebleau Las Vegas was a massive 3900 room casino that originally was supposed to open in October 2009.  More than $1.6 billion has already been spent on the project.

However, the developer ran out of money in 2009.  Carl Icahn purchased the project at a bankruptcy sale for only $150 million.  It will cost at least $1 billion to finish the project.

Construction was halted with only a couple of floors left to enclose the curtain wall at the top.  Birds have infiltrated the top 2 floors.  Extensive water damage has occurred.  The building will likely sit for about 10 years before it is demolished.

Epic failure!

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Another Masdar Video

PRT in Amritsar, India


Source: http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/16/pod-cars-are-poised-to-transform-an-indian-citys-streetscape-and-skyline/

Most Futuristic Cities

I'm still working on this, but here is the start of the list:

1. Abu Dhabi/Masdar City
Masdar City is only 11 miles from Abu Dhabi, so it is fair to combine them. Definitely the most futuristic city on earth.
Site: http://www.masdarcity.ae/en/28/abu-dhabi-economic-vision-2030/

2. Tianjin Eco-City
This is a joint project of China and Singapore. Very cool pictures. (See also the proposed Jingwu Eco City.)
Site: http://www.tianjinecocity.gov.sg/

3. Astana, Kazakhstan
Playground of Norman Foster.
Site: http://www.astana.kz/en/

4. Dubai

5. King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) / Jazan Economic City
Two very cool projects, combined for now because it is not clear how much has actually been constructed.

6. Doha / Lusail, Qatar

7. Iskandar, Malaysia
New city to be built near Singapore

8. Dholera, India
See also Gujarat International Finance Tec (G.I.F.T..) City, and Gandhinagar.

9. Yongsan / Songdo, South Korea

10. Gold Coast City, Australia

11. Kuwait City

12. Baku, Azerbaijan

13. Brasilia / Curitaba, Brazil
Two different futuristic cities in Brazil.

14. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

15. Konza Techno City, Nairobi

To be continued...

The Shard

"Indeed, the Shard -- essentially London's first genuine skyscraper, has broken a taboo. It's the first building to alter the city's character, one that shrinks the old Roman city of London down to a picturesque stage set.

Irvine Sellar likes it that way. Sitting on the building's 15th floor, where parquet flooring and carpeting are already installed, he points out the view over London. "From here," he says, "you can look out on more than a thousand years of history." Sellar is a real estate developer and the man behind the tower that makes everything else in this city of 8 million -- the history, the architecture and, or course, the people -- appear small and insignificant. Sellar says his skyscraper will change London -- and not just for today or tomorrow, "but for centuries."

From: http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,806785,00.html

Top Emerging Cities

Abu Dhabi, UAE
Dubai, UAE
Cape Town, South Africa
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Casablanca, Morocco
Doha, Qatar
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Kuwait City, Kuwait
Kiev, Ukraine
Manama, Bahrain
Johannesburg, South Africa
Minsk, Belarus
Dakar, Senegal
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Nairobi, Kenya
Port Louis, Mauritius

Source: http://www.innovation-cities.com/innovation-cities-emerging-index-2010-mid-east-africa-city-rankings/

Most Innovative Cities

Top cities to live, work and play, due to their strong innovation economics.
  1. Boston
  2. Paris
  3. Amsterdam
  4. Vienna, Austria
  5. New York
  6. Frankfurt, Germany
  7. San Francisco
  8. Copenhagen, Denmark
  9. Lyon, France
  10. Hamburg, Germany
  11. Berlin, Germany
  12. Toronto, Canada
  13. Stuttgart, Germany
  14. London, United Kingdom
  15. Munich, Germany
  16. Milan, Italy
  17. Stockholm, Sweden
  18. Hong Kong
  19. Melbourne, Australia
  20. Tokyo
  21. Rome, Italy
  22. Kyoto, Japan
  23. Washington DC
  24. Shanghai
  25. Düsseldorf, Germany
  26. Barcelona, Spain
  27. Seoul
  28. Sydney, Australia
  29. Prague, Czech Republic
  30. Philadelphia
  31. Singapore
  32. Brussels, Belgium
  33. Strasbourg, France
  34. Montréal
  35. Seattle
  36. Nantes, France
  37. Helsinki, Finland
  38. Marseille, France
  39. Leipzig, Germany
  40. Cologne, Germany
  41. Toulouse, France
  42. Karlsruhe, Germany
  43. Bordeaux, France
  44. Austin, Texas
  45. Minneapolis-St Paul
  46. Oslo, Norway
  47. Chicago
  48. Wellington, New Zealand
  49. Dresden, Germany
  50. Tel Aviv, Israel
Source: http://www.innovation-cities.com/innovation-cities-top-100-index-top-cities/

What makes a city futuristic?

I love lists and I am preparing a list of cities that seem like they are from the future. What are the factors that make it so?

1. Vision. I'm looking for a website and videos that express its vision of the future. Just by being there, or looking at it, you should feel amazed and positive.
2. Not too big, not too small. Bigger is usually not better, so I am arbitrarily setting an upper limit of 5 million people (sorry Hong Kong). Also, it should have enough people to actually be a functioning city and not just a vision, so I am arbitrarily setting a lower limit of 100,000 people.
3. Skyscrapers are good. Also iconic buildings.
4. Pedestrian-friendly. Monorails or other people-moving systems are good. Cars are ok, as long as there are not massive traffic jams.
5. Green areas. Fountains are nice.
6. Planned cities are nice. Bonus for capital cities.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Abu Dhabi 2030

Global Cities

Here is yet another list of the top Global Cities. Compare my list.

  1. New York
  2. London
  3. Paris
  4. Tokyo
  5. Brussels
  6. Los Angeles
  7. Singapore
  8. Beijing
  9. Toronto
  10. Berlin
  11. Chicago
  12. Washington DC
  13. Seoul
  14. Frankfurt
  15. Sydney
  16. San Francisco
  17. Hong Kong
  18. Shanghai
  19. Mexico City
  20. Bangkok
  21. Moscow
  22. Zurich
  23. Munich
  24. Taipei
  25. Sao Paulo
  26. Buenos Aires
  27. Istanbul
  28. Milan
  29. Boston
  30. Miami
  31. Cairo
  32. Dubai
  33. Kuala Lumpur
  34. Tel Aviv
  35. Bogota
  36. Rio de Janeiro
  37. New Delhi
  38. Mumbai
  39. Jakarta
  40. Johannesburg

Source: http://www.knightfrank.com/documents/wealthreport/TheWealthReport2011.pdf

Most Livable Cities in the World

  1. Zurich
  2. Geneva
  3. Vancouver
  4. Vienna
  5. Auckland
  6. Dusseldorf
  7. Frankfurt
  8. Munich
  9. Bern
  10. Sydney
  11. Copenhagen
  12. Wellington
  13. Amsterdam
  14. Brussels
  15. Toronto
  16. Berlin
  17. Melbourne
  18. Luxembourg
  19. Ottawa
  20. Stockholm
  21. Perth
  22. Montreal
  23. Nurnberg
  24. Calgary
  25. Hamburg
  26. Oslo
  27. Dublin
  28. Honolulu
  29. San Francisco
  30. Adelaide
  31. Helsinki
  32. Brisbane
  33. Paris
  34. Singapore
  35. Tokyo
  36. Lyon
  37. Boston
  38. Yokohama
  39. London
  40. Kobe
  41. Barcelona
  42. Madrid
  43. Osaka
  44. Washington DC
  45. Chicago
  46. Portland
  47. Lisbon
  48. New York City
  49. Milan
  50. Seattle
Source: http://www.businessweek.com/interactive_reports/livable_cities_worldwide.html

=============
Here is another list of liveability rankings:
  1. Melbourne
  2. Vienna
  3. Vancouver
  4. Toronto
  5. Calgary
  6. Sydney
  7. Helsinki
  8. Perth
  9. Adelaide
  10. Auckland
--http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World%27s_Most_Livable_Cities

Cities with the Largest Economies

  1. Tokyo
  2. New York
  3. Los Angeles
  4. Chicago
  5. London
  6. Paris
  7. Osaka/Kobe
  8. Mexico City
  9. Philadephia
  10. Sao Paulo
  11. Washington DC
  12. Boston
  13. Buenos Aires
  14. Dallas/Fort Worth
  15. Moscow
  16. Hong Kong
  17. Atlanta
  18. San Francisco/Oakland
  19. Houston
  20. Miami
  21. Seoul
  22. Toronto
  23. Detroit
  24. Seattle
  25. Shanghai
  26. Madrid
  27. Singapore
  28. Sydney
  29. Mumbai
  30. Rio de Janeiro
  31. Phoenix 
  32. Minneapolis 
  33. San Diego 
  34. Istanbul 
  35. Barcelona 
  36. Melbourne 
  37. Delhi 
  38. Beijing 
  39. Denver 
  40. Manila 
  41. Montreal 
  42. Cairo 
  43. Rome 
  44. Guangzhou 
  45. Baltimore 
  46. Milan 
  47. Tehran 
  48. St Louis 
  49. Tampa/St Petersburg 
  50. Vienna
Source: https://www.ukmediacentre.pwc.com/imagelibrary/downloadMedia.ashx?MediaDetailsID=1562

    Cities with the Most Skyscrapers

    1. Hong Kong 1,221
    2. New York City 563
    3. Tokyo 344
    4. Chicago 282
    5. Dubai 231
    6. Shanghai 227
    7. Toronto 152
    8. Singapore 125
    9. Bangkok 111
    10. Seoul 110
    11. Guangzhou 108
    12. Osaka 102
    13. Sydney 101
    14. Moscow 89
    15. Miami 79
    16. Houston 78
    17. Mexico City 77
    18. Shenzhen 76
    19. Kuala Lumpur 76
    20. Beijing 73
    21. Melbourne 69
    22. San Francisco 68
    23. São Paulo 63
    24. Chongqing 61
    25. Mumbai 59
    26. Honolulu 59
    27. Istanbul 58
    28. Panama City 58
    29. Atlanta 56
    30. Los Angeles 55
    31. Rio de Janeiro 53
    32. Las Vegas 51
    33. Calgary 49
    34. Philadelphia 49
    35. Brisbane 49
    36. Vancouver 47
    37. Boston 46
    38. Jakarta 45
    39. Dallas 40
    40. Busan, South Korea 40
    41. Gold Coast City, Australia 40
    42. Seattle 39
    43. Kaohsiung, Taiwan 38
    44. Makati (Manila), Philippines 37
    45. Tianjin 37
    46. Nanjing 36
    47. Tel Aviv - Yaffo 36
    48. London 36
    49. Buenos Aires 34
    50. Caracas 33
    51. Denver 32
    52. Kobe 31
    53. Yokohama 31
    54. Ankara, Turkey 30
    55. Montréal 30
    56. Macao 29
    57. Cairo 29
    58. Frankfurt am Main 28
    59. San Diego 28
    60. Paris 27
    61. Detroit 26
    62. Minneapolis 26
    63. Benidorm, Spain 25
    64. Pittsburgh 25
    65. Doha, Qatar 24
    66. Abu Dhabi 23
    67. Recife, Brazil 23
    68. Dalian, China 21
    69. Incheon, South Korea 20
    70. Courbevoie (Paris), France 20
    71. Sharjah, UAE 19
    72. New Orleans 19
    73. Baltimore 18
    74. Durban, South Africa 18
    75. Mississauga (Toronto), Canada 17
    76. Chiba (Tokyo), Japan 17
    77. Phoenix 17
    78. Rotterdam 17
    79. Charlotte 16
    80. Ho Chi Minh City 16
    81. Jersey City 16
    82. Qingdao, China 16
    83. Chengdu, China 15
    84. Warsaw 15
    85. Puteaux (Paris), France 15
    86. Miami Beach 15
    87. Brussels 15
    88. Nagoya, Japan 15
    89. Sunny Isles Beach (Miami), US 15
    90. Wuhan, China 14
    91. Columbus 14
    92. Edmonton 14
    93. Cleveland 14
    94. Cincinnati 13
    95. Auckland 13
    96. Madrid 13
    97. Perth 12
    98. Changsha, China 12
    99. Kansas City 12
    100. Bogotá 12 

    Source: http://www.emporis.com/statistics/worlds-tallest-buildings

    Monday, January 9, 2012

    Jazan Economic City

    Putrajaya, Malaysia

    Aktau City, Kazakhstan

    Sunday, January 8, 2012

    Eko Atlantic Lagos

    Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

    Scale model of Shanghai

    Friday, January 6, 2012

    Sao Paulo

    Proposed World Government

    The world government is split into 6 sectors, and one for the world as a whole. At each level, there are 3 different capitals: political, financial, and military. This is obviously a very US-centric view.

    World Government
    Political Capital: New York
    Financial Capital: New York (or London)
    Military Capital: Washington

    Northern Sector
    Political Capital: Kansas City (or San Antonio)
    Financial Capital: Chicago
    Military Capital: Colorado Springs

    Southern Sector
    Political Capital: Montevideo, Uruguay
    Financial Capital: Sao Paulo
    Military Capital: Miami

    European Sector
    Political Capital: Strasbourg, France (seat of the Council of Europe)
    Financial Capital: London
    Military Capital: Stuttgart, Germany

    Central Sector
    Political Capital: Abu Dhabi
    Financial Capital: Dubai
    Military Capital: Qatar (forward base of the US Central Command)

    African Sector
    Political Capital: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
    Financial Capital: Johannesburg
    Military Capital: Stuttgart, Germany

    Pacific Sector
    Political Capital: Singapore (headquarters of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation)
    Financial Capital: Hong Kong
    Military Capital: Honolulu

    Thursday, January 5, 2012

    Runner Up Cities

    Any list is somewhat arbitrary.  Here are the runner up cities which could possibly stake a claim into the top 100 if they can knock out some other candidate:

    United States and Canada: Austin, TX; Calgary, Alberta; Cincinnati, OH; Cleveland, OH; Columbus, OH; Edmonton, Alberta; Hampton Roads, VA; Honolulu, HI; Indianapolis, IN; Kansas City, MO; Las Vegas, NV; Milwaukee, WI; New Orleans, LA; Oklahoma City, OK; Orlando, FL; Ottawa, Canada; Pittsburgh, PA; Richmond, VA; Salt Lake City, UT; San Antonio, TX; San Juan, Puerto Rico

    South America: Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Caracas, Venezuela;  Curitaba, Brazil; Montevideo, Uraguay; Porto Alegre, Brazil; Quito, Ecuador

    Central America and Caribbean:  Guadalajara, Mexico; Guatemala City; Nassau, Bahamas; Panama City; San Jose, Costa Rica; San Salvador, El Salvador; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic;

    Europe: Ankara, Turkey; Antwerp, Belgium; Athens, Greece; Belfast, UK; Belgrade, Serbia; Birmingham, UK; Bratislava, Slovakia; Bucharest, Romania; Budapest, Hungary; Cologne, Germany; Dusseldorf, Germany; Gibraltor; Gothenburg, Sweden; Kyiv, Ukraine; Leeds UK; Lisbon, Portugal; Ljubljana, Slovenia; Lyon, France; Manchester, UK; Malta; Monaco; Marseille, France; Nicosia, Cyprus;  Reykjavik, Iceland; Riga, Latvia; Rotterdam, Netherlands; Sofia, Bulgaria; St. Petersburg, Russia; Stuttgart, Germany; Talinn, Estonia; Valencia, Spain; Vilnius, Lithuania; Zagreb, Croatia

    Africa: Accra, Ghana; Alexandria, Egypt; Casablanca; Durban, South Africa; Libreville, Gabon; Kinshasa, DR Congo; Lagos, Nigeria; Nairobi, Kenya; Port Luis, Mauritius; Tunis, Tunisia;

    Middle East: Amman, Jordan; Beirut, Lebanon; Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Kuwait; Muscat, Oman

    Asia: Adelaide, Australia; Ahmedebad, India; Almaty, Kazakhstan; Brisbane, Australia; Chengdu, China; Colombo, Sri Lanka;  Daegu-Gyeongbuk, South Korea; Dhaka, Pakistan; Fukuoka, Japan; Gold Coast City, Australia; Hanoi, Vietnam; Incheon, South Korea; Islamabad, Pakistan; Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Lahore, Pakistan; Macau, China; Nagoya, Japan; Penang Island, Malaysia; Perth, Australia; Pune, India; Shenyang, China; Surat, India; Wuhan, China

    ==========
    Here is another list, partially overlapping with this, of important cities that have not been included in the top 125:

    Baku, Azerbaijan
    Astana, Kazakhstan
    Sacramento, CA
    Kansas City, MO
    Brakin (Brazzaville, Congo-Kinshasa,DR-Congo)
    Durban, South Africa
    Brunei
    Nairobi, Kenya
    San Antonio, Texas
    Orlando, FL
    Cincinnati, OH
    Cleveland, OH
    Las Vegas, NV
    Budapest, Hungary
    Panama City, Panama
    Recife, Brazil
    Wuhan, China
    Gold Coast City, Australia
    Daegu, South Korea
    Incheon, South Korea
    Penang Island, Malaysia
    Perth, Australia
    Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    Adelaide, Australia
    Curitiba, Brazil
    Monaco

    ================
    Partial list of cities that have not been included in top 200
    Wellington, Adelaide, Putrajaya (Malaysia), Astana, Lausanne (Switzerland), Bonn, Turin
    Addis Ababa, Abuja
    Columbus, OH; Edmonton; Hampton Roads, VA; Indianapolis, IN; Milwaukee, WI; Oklahoma City, OK; Richmond, VA; Salt Lake City;
    Kingston, Jamaica; San Juan, Puerto Rico, Quito
    Katowice, Poland [pop. 2.7 million]

    Top 100 Powerful Cities of the World

    Here is my list of the Top 100 Cities of the World.  This is based on several criteria, sometimes competing.  In general it is ranked by GDP, with adjustments for other factors, such as political power. For instance, Washington and Brussels are ranked higher for political reasons. I think it is pretty good for a first pass and it is subject to change.

    Of this number, 24 are in the United States and Canada, 3 in Central America and the Caribbean, 7 are in South America, 28 are in Europe (including Russia & Turkey), 3 are in Africa, 6 are in the Middle East and 29 are in Asia (including India & Australia).

    1. New York, NY
    2. London
    3. Washington DC/Baltimore, MD
    4. Tokyo, Japan
    5. Hong Kong
    6. Los Angeles/Riverside, CA
    7. Chicago, IL
    8. Paris, France
    9. Singapore
    10. Brussels, Belgium
    11. Shanghai, China
    12. San Francisco/San Jose, CA
    13. Zurich, Switzerland
    14. Sao Paulo, Brazil
    15. Boston, MA
    16. Mexico City, Mexico
    17. Buenos Aires, Argentina
    18. Sydney, Australia
    19. Seoul, Korea
    20. Moscow, Russia
    21. Beijing, China
    22. Toronto, Canada
    23. Frankfurt, Germany
    24. Berlin, Germany
    25. Madrid, Spain
    26. Mumbai, India
    27. Osaka/Kobe, Japan
    28. Delhi/New Delhi, India
    29. Houston, TX
    30. Taipei, Taiwan
    31. Dallas/Fort Worth, TX
    32. Philadelphia, PA
    33. Guangzhou, China
    34. Atlanta, GA
    35. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
    36. Miami, FL
    37. Geneva, Switzerland
    38. Jersey/Guernsey/Isle of Man
    39. Montreal, Canada
    40. Vienna, Austria
    41. Istanbul, Turkey
    42. Vancouver, Canada
    43. Amsterdam, Netherlands
    44. Stockholm, Sweden
    45. Barcelona, Spain
    46. Dubai
    47. Rome, Italy
    48. Edinburgh/Glasgow, UK
    49. Copenhagen, Denmark
    50. Cairo, Egypt
    51. Manila, Philippines
    52. Melbourne, Australia
    53. Seattle, WA
    54. Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
    55. Munich, Germany
    56. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
    57. Kolkata, India
    58. Phoenix, AZ
    59. San Diego/Tijuana, CA
    60. Auckland/Wellington, New Zealand
    61. Manama, Bahrain
    62. Tehran, Iran
    63. Barcelona, Spain
    64. Bangkok, Thailand
    65. Jakarta, Indonesia
    66. Shenzhen, China
    67. Denver, CO
    68. Tianjin, China
    69. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
    70. Hamilton, Bermuda / Road Town, British Virgin Islands / George Town, Cayman Islands
    71. Lima, Peru
    72. Brasilia, Brazil
    73. Santiago, Chile
    74. Rome, Italy
    75. Luxembourg
    76. Bangalore, India
    77. Johannesburg, South Africa
    78. Dublin, Ireland
    79. Karachi, Pakistan
    80. Bogota, Colombia
    81. Tel Aviv, Israel
    82. Oslo, Norway
    83. Helsinki, Finland
    84. Monterrey, Mexico
    85. Charlotte, NC
    86. Cape Town, South Africa
    87. Detroit, MI
    88. Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam
    89. Milan, Italy
    90. Busan, Korea
    91. Chennai, India
    92. St Louis, MO
    93. Doha, Qatar
    94. Chonqing, China
    95. Tampa/St Petersburg, FL
    96. Warsaw, Poland
    97. Hyderabad, India
    98. Abu Dhabi
    99. Portland, OR
    100. Prague, Czech Republic

    Update: Honolulu should be in the top 50 at least.

    Top Business Cities

    1. London
    2. New York
    3. Hong Kong
    4. Singapore
    5. Shanghai
    6. Tokyo
    7. Chicago
    8. Zurich
    9. San Francisco
    10. Toronto
    11. Seoul
    12. Boston
    13. Geneva
    14. Washington DC
    15. Sydney
    16. Frankfurt
    17. Vancouver
    18. Melbourne
    19. Beijing
    20. Montreal
    21. Jersey 
    22. Munich 
    23. Taipei 
    24. Paris 
    25. Shenzhen 
    26. Osaka 
    27. Wellington 
    28. Stockholm 
    29. Luxembourg 
    30. Qatar
    31. Guernsey
    32. Edinburgh 
    33. Glasgow 
    34. Copenhagen 
    35. Amsterdam 
    36. Dubai 
    37. Oslo 
    38. Kuala Lumpur 
    39. Helsinki 
    40. Isle of Man 
    41. Hamilton (Bermuda)
    42. Vienna 
    43. Dublin 
    44. Brussels 
    45. British Virgin Islands 
    46. Cayman Islands 
    47. Mexico City 
    48. Madrid 
    49. Sao Paulo 
    50. Milan 
    51. Prague 
    52. Johannesburg 
    53. Rio de Janeiro 
    54. Rome 
    55. Bahrain 
    56. Warsaw 
    57. Bangkok 
    58. Gibraltar 
    59. Monaco 
    60. Lisbon 
    61. Moscow 
    62. Istanbul 
    63. Buenos Aires 
    64. Mumbai 
    65. Jakarta 
    66. Riyadh 
    67. Talinn 
    68. Mauritius 
    69. Manila 
    70. Malta 
    71. St Petersburg 
    72. Bahamas 
    73. Budapest 
    74. Reykjavik 
    75. Athens
    Source: http://zyen.com/PDF/GFCI%2010.pdf

    Hedge funds moving to Malta

    "Malta has also begun to win business from more-established fund jurisdictions. The island has benefited from a growing demand by investors for transparency as well as from fears among hedge funds that the EU was becoming increasingly hostile to firms based outside of it.

    In 2010, nine companies from the British Virgin Islands, seven from the Cayman Islands and six from Luxembourg switched their legal domicile to Malta, according to the MFSA. In addition, at least a dozen large U.K. hedge funds and funds of hedge funds have shifted part of their operations, including accounting and investor relations, to Malta.

    [Paul] Keegan says adjustment to life on Malta is easy. U.K. newspapers and British television are ubiquitous. Public telephone booths are even the same iconic red ones found in Britain. Keegan doesn’t miss London’s weather. Malta averages 300 days of sunshine per year. And he and his wife are building a house on the island, something he says they could never have afforded to do in London, where they lived in a two-bedroom apartment."

    --http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-05/malta-lures-connecticut-hedge-funds-with-300-days-of-sun-aided-by-eu-rules.html

    Iskandar Malaysia

    Tuesday, January 3, 2012

    US will kill the dollar

    Debt jumps $97 billion overnight

    On 12/29/2011 the national debt was $15,126 billion.
    On 12/30/2011 the national debt was $15,223 billion. The debt held by the public went up only $12 billion, whereas intragovernmental debt went up $85 billion to a new record high of $4,775 billion.

    Debt held by the public went up only $58 billion in December.

    Monday, January 2, 2012

    Cold War with Iran

    There is a cold war going on right now with Iran. The US is blacklisting the whole country. Iran sees this as a provocation and may shut down the Straits of Hormuz. And then the US Navy will intervene to reopen it.

    See: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/02/iran-currency-plunges-us-sanction
    Iran test-fires long-range missile in naval drill

    "The US has slapped sanctions on Iran, targeting its financial sector while the EU is considering an embargo on Iranian oil. But if the West suffocates Iran, it will have no option but to respond in a severe manner, Dr Seyed Mohammad Marandi told RT.
    ­“The problem is that the US is pushing this conflict, this confrontation, in a direction which is becoming dangerous,” said Marandi of the University of Tehran.
    --‘Iran opposes US hegemony’

    Sunday, January 1, 2012

    Riyadh



    The title of the video says "Riyadh female University", but it appears to be a downtown area of Riyadh. Very cool and futuristic.

    King Abdullah Economic City