Los Angeles Joins New York, Paris As Alpha World City

Along with New York City and Chicago, Los Angeles is one of several cities in the Untied States to meet the definition of of an "alpha world city", a concept popularized by England's Loughborough University that is used to designate strategic geographic locales in a world characterized more and more by globalization. The Loughborough scale further classifies the planet's leading cities as alpha, beta or gamma world cities, depending on how well a particular metropolis meets certain general characteristics.

The category of "alpha world city" is actually a two-tier classification in which New York City, Paris, London and Tokyo are the undisputed point leaders. Safely ensconced in Tier Two of the "Alpha League", Los Angeles meets many of the characteristics ascribed by Loughborough University to the world's top cities.

Name recognition is at the top of the list of characteristics every alpha world city must have. In the world of alpha cities, the mere mention of a city's name transcends any and all geographical boundaries. Consider the fact that many cities around the world share the same name. However, there is universal agreement that a reference to Paris, London or New York, for example, automatically refers to one and only one specific city in France, the United Kingdom or the United States, respectively. Much the same is true of Los Angeles, also universally recognized simply as "L.A.", the bustling economic and cultural center on the U.S. West Coast.

Here's a look at several other characteristics on the Loughborough University list that help qualify the City of Los Angeles as an alpha world city:

- An alpha world city is a home to many residents and will have a fairly large population. With an estimated population of 3.8 million (according to estimates made in 2006 by the U.S. Census Bureau), Los Angeles is the second largest city in the United States.

- An alpha world city is also home to well-known universities or museums. Los Angeles is home to three public universities, including the internationally known University of California at Los Angeles, or UCLA. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Autry Museum of Western Heritage and Griffith Park Observatory are well-known Los Angeles landmarks.

- An alpha world city is also a sports nexus. Here, too, Los Angeles can claim a leadership role with major league baseball and basketball teams. On the international stage, Los Angeles has twice hosted the Summer Olympic Games, once in 1932 and once in 1984. A spin-off of the 1984 Games was the Los Angeles Marathon, which has hosted international athletes annually since 1986.

These are only three of a dozen characteristics that define an alpha world city according to the Loughborough University scale. Los Angeles scores ten of twelve points on this scale, making it one of the planet's most influential and important cities.