Cities, imperial

A major urban center can be considered an imperial city when it embodies the power relationships of empire. The entry discusses a range of historical examples, both modern and premodern, and highlights typical elements and spatial arrangements that relate to key imperial functions of governance and control. The importance of ideology and imperial display to the urban fabric of such cities is emphasized. The urban implications of imperial decline are considered, as are present-day forms of corporate imperialism in the global cities of the 21st century