1. Introduction
By the passage of the industrial revolution and entrance to the post-industrial era, the change and variety in the functions of capitalistic powers, ICT revolution, and the speeding up of globalization after the 1960s have brought about renewal of the operational, spatial, and managerial structures of cities. In line with the mentioned changes, the structural changes resulted from globalization, diminish the role of government-nation, from meaningful economic players or units to mediators facilitating “local” and “universal” relationships, and lead to the appearance of new universal players and powers, called local governments. This is the basis of the development of city roles in the new universal geography and their influence on the urban currents and hierarchies in the world. In such situations, the governments’ (federal and local) strategies and plans for achieving an appropriate standing and the city role shave exceeded local levels and attained universal positions. Attaining appropriate standing in universal urban networks relies on meeting required standards in their various components. The present study explains the globalization of metropolis local government, while emphasizing the role of urban infrastructures.
2. Methodology
The present study is carried out theoretically based on the descriptive-analytic method. The purpose of this study is to explain the theoretical framework of urban infrastructure roles in the globalization of metropolis through the agency of metropolis local government. Therefore, we reviewed the literature related to the globalization and the urban globalization processes, and the comparison between metropolis infrastructures and universal cities. Also the role of urban infrastructures in the globalization processes of cities, the relationship between the importance of urban infrastructures and urban development, and the facilitated process of city globalization, besides the role of local government as the regulator of local spaces and the major factor in local development was investigated.
3. Discussion
Appropriate infrastructure, facilities and equipment are among the requirements of the realization of urban growth and development. Urban infrastructures, which are one of the strongest symbols and representations of the material culture or the material dimension of the universalized local government’s urban structure, contain a broad range from big airports with aerial functions, advanced transportation networks, advanced information-communication infrastructures (telecommunication, Internet), cultural and educational centers with universal reputation, and professional sport infrastructures to architectural works with universal brands. From the perspective of the geographers, one of the most interesting consequences of infrastructure equipment is the distance developed between sectors, urban areas, and the public; on the other hand,, distance reduction and diminished local dimension as the products of a spectrum of social-spatial evolutions resulting from scientific and technical advances (from phone to Internet) have been realized. Therefore, the study and investigation of infrastructures that lead to decreased distances and temporal and local jams are of great importance to most of geographers. These studies are indicative of the appearance of a new stage of globalization and enhanced integration among countries due to increased temporal-local jams. To achieve the focal business status in the regional multinational centers, the universal local governments actively entered into a new course of urban infrastructure developments. In its new course, the infrastructure development contained telecommunication (telematics) development and the communication in the form of communicative establishments and transportation.
4. Conclusion
Local governments as the regulators of local spaces with special local services play their roles at local and transnational levels for the purpose of development, control, and regulation of geographical, social, and economic development of local regions. As the most important political-official players, they shape the form and content of cities at local, national, and transnational scales. Therefore, the local development emphasizes the advanced urban infrastructures such as big airports with aerial functions, advanced transportation networks, advanced information-communication infrastructures (telecommunication, Internet),cultural and educational centers with universal reputation, professional sport infrastructures, and creation of architectural works with universal brands. Moreover, achievement of required standards for realization of universal processes and the value of universal city is an essential duty of local governments in the current age; this results in the integration of cities in different continents within the communicative networks of universal cities, and confirms the role of the hierarchical complex of infrastructural networks in the integrations and national and physical relationships at transnational scales. |
