The Growing Gap Between Town and Country

The industrialized world is experiencing a growing divide between “diverse global cities” and the rural “places that feel left behind,” according to Ronald Brownstein of the Atlantic. Sadiq Khan, mayor of London and the first Muslim mayor of a major Western city, pointed this out during a visit to Chicago. Alongside Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Khan celebrated immigrants and increased opportunity in diverse cities. Chicago and London are not alone; leaders of most global cities tend to embrace a mission of acceptance, collaboration, openness and intense competition while preferring bridges over walls – in essence, globalization. The modern urban agenda, according to Brownstein, includes investment in infrastructure and education, acceptance of immigration, technology, alternative energies and international trade. But in isolated communities in the United States and Europe, insular anti-immigrant views and nationalism remain popular. The US presidential election highlights a divide increasingly evident across the developed world. – YaleGlobal