By Renard Teipelke
In the past years, we could witness the increasingly strong presence of international corporations in downtown areas. Ranging from telecommunication and fashion to fast food and electronics, major brands have successfully invaded the centers of our cities. This is often discussed, for instance, with respect to McDonalds and (more recently) Starbucks stores popping up seemingly at every corner in the downtown area of (at least larger) cities. In the following article, I would like to address this latter aspect with a focus on the role of ‘international guests’ in global cities.


