Information-Age Landscapes Outside the Developed World Bangalore, India, and Guadalajara, Mexico

This article examines two so-called “silicon valleys” located in Bangalore, India, and Guadalajara, Mexico. Drawing its theoretical propositions from the global city literature and the informational/network society framework, it posits that the metropolitan edges of these cites contain new industrial landscapes inserted in a global system of production. This new urban form is dynamically shaped by the location decisions of multinational software and electronics corporations, government entrepreneurial activities, and amenities valued by the “information-age elite.” The author examines the local sociospatial implications of this new urban form and discusses the challenges facing these cities, which must balance their local social and environmental responsibilities with the polarizing effects of the global/informational economy.