Tourism in US global cities: A comparison of New York and Los Angeles

Tourism has become a key component of both the Los Angeles and New York Cit y economies and an integral part of each city's urban redevelopment efforts . Its growth has influenced each city's social structure and built environm ent in remarkably similar ways. We describe the economic and spatial charac teristics of tourism in the two cities, focusing on its labor marker effect s. We find strong similarities in economic importance and some aspects of l abor relations. We find differences in spatial and design consequences as w ell as certain labor market effects. Utilizing the general framework of reg ulation theory, we analyze the ways in which economic culture, local autono my, and urban regimes contribute to the regulation of the tourism industry in the two cities. We also discuss how labor and community, and advocacy gr oups respond to, and in turn influence, the politics and economic culture o f the cities in which they operate.