London Cosmopolitan
London is one of the most glamorous cities in the world leading in architecture and finance. It has become a vibrant cosmopolitan metropolis. A city that is a financial hub for business and a global tourist attraction holds urban spectacles that are “multi-dimensional” (Gotham 226). Cities of this sort also evoke characteristics that connect with the concept of ‘movement and vision’. With the entire activity taking place within London, it has to be a city of rhythm, harmony, and melody. All three concepts discussed in class relate to the city of London. Kevin Gotham (“Theorizing Urban Spectacles”) focuses on the analysis of urban spectacles for insight on the positives and negatives that clash on the social environment. Urban spectacles are dominated by capitalists whom oppress the social environment in ways that are classified negative. Capitalists take advantage of the local attractions and events, investing in order to make them global attractions that will allure tourists worldwide for mass consumption of capital. Therefore they are taking culture and dispersing its moral values. At the same time, they are accumulating economic wealth for the city (but most of the time, themselves). This is why urban spectacles are seen to “embody contradictory tendencies” (Gotham 226). Events like the famous Oxford Cambridge Boat Race, is an event known around the world that brings tourists together every years to watch men and woman in teams by country have a river race. This is the highlight of the rowing calendar by boat racers. This race includes 420 boats from around the world (i.e. New Zealand, Australia, Africa, and etc.). Events like this one are spectacles that started locally and grew into a main attraction for tourism through advertisement. As in “Theorizing Urban Spectacles”, London attracted attention from all over the world through this boat race event. London is full of old landmarks, like the tower of London which is also a tourist attraction. It was a