Indeed, Shenzhen’s urbanization and globalization are as much political and cultural phenomena as they are economic.

For example, the success of Shenzhen is frequently discussed in economic terms while other non-economic elements are not highlighted as much. Scholars have suggested various interpretations of urbanization and globalization in the Global South, focusing on a specific city, region, or country to contextualize the experience, but not all have been successful at painting a full picture of development across time and space. While countries and cities in the Global South share many traits, they differ widely in cultures, socioeconomic structures, and political systems. Many of the fastest growing cities are found in the Global South today, which are “overflowing with opportunities.” Already in 2011, the World Bank highlighted that Dubai, Shanghai, and Sao Paulo are fulfilling the role that Tokyo, London, and New York had assumed in the last century. Despite the discrepancy in its literal reading and underlying definition, the term has become synonymous with youth, energy, hope and excitement.

In practice, however, it encompasses emerging and developing economies in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Oceania, regardless of their geographic location relative to the Equator. In the most literal sense, the term Global South indicates countries situated south of the Equator.

Cities in the global south reader