The pivotal nodes in the world city network are global cities---cities of supreme strategic value in global economy and politics, science and technology, culture, and society. Global Cities: Past, Present and Future explores the evolution of global cities---their formation, rise, development and tendencies. This book summarizes and interprets global tendencies and also puts forward a theoretical framework that will help researchers understand these cities better. It also makes a compelling case for understanding every city in terms of evolutionary dynamics. The first eight chapters of the book discuss the ontology of global city evolution and patterns, forms and trends of development. The last two chapters study the case of Shanghai, which aims to build itself into an important global city by 2050. This case study illustrates the shaping of a new type of global city that demonstrates new characteristics of the globalized space. Contents: Introduction Literature Review Global Cities Research The Studies of Global Space Studies on the World City Network Dynamic Evolution Research Definition of Global Cities Methodology of Conceptualization Global City Paradigm Clarification of Some Confusing Concepts Evolutionary Ontology and Its Core Category Ontology of Global Cities The Core Category Connected Spaces Evolution Framework: World City Network Complex Interlocking Network Model Network Structure Evolutionary Dynamics Framework of Dynamics Influencing Factors Evolutionary Process Evolutionary Model Dominant Model of Evolution Diversity in Evolution (Types) Evolutionary Tendencies of Global Cities Evolutionary Tendencies Based on Network Intensification Evolution Trend Based on the Isotropic World City Network The Evolution of Space Space Expansion Evolutionary Trend of Spatial Expansion Processes A Case Study of ‘Shanghai 2050’ Global City Vision (Part I) Strategic Drive: Prospects of Globalization Strategic Opportunities: Reshaping of World Pattern The Rise of China as Strategic Support Shanghai’s Endogenous Foundation for Global Cities Evolution A Case Study of ‘Shanghai 2050’ Global City Vision (Part II) Prospects of Shanghai’s Evolution to a Global City Shanghai’s Vision of Becoming a Global City Core Functions of Shanghai as a Global City Bibliography