A UNU Panel on Globalization and the Urban Future was organized on 7 June 1996 at Habitat II, with the participation of five of the contributing authors of this book.

Part 1: Regional surveys and selected world cities, Globalization and the world cities / Peter Hall -- World city regions in Europe : structural change and future challenges / Kalus R. Kunzmann -- World cities in North America : structural change and future challenges / Peter Gordon and Harry W. Richardson -- The growth of Tokyo as a world city / Masahiko Honjo -- Globalization and world city formation in Pacific Asia / Yue-man Yeung and Fu-chen Lo -- Urban corridors in Pacific Asia / Sang-chuel Choe -- World cities and the urban future : the view from Latin America / Alan Gilbert -- Rio de Janeiro as a world city / Hamilton C. Tolosa -- Islamic cities in the world system / Salah El-Shakhs and Ellen Shoshkes -- Cairo as a world city : the impact of Cairo's orientation towards globalization / Mahmoud Yousry, Tarek Abu-Zekry, and Ahmed M. Yousry -- Globalization trends and sub-Saharan African cities / Carole Rakodi -- "Johannesburg" : coming to grips with globalization from an abnormal base / Keith Beavon -- Part 2: Key issues about the urban future, The impact of the new technologies and globalization on cities / Saskia Sassen -- World cities as financial centres / David R. Meyer -- Transport and telecommunications among world cities / Peter J. Rimmer -- Globalization and rural-urban relations in the developing world / T.G. McGee -- Feeding the world's cities / Hal Kane.