Joining Historic Cities to the Global World: Feasibility or Fantasy?

Given the globalisation and free movement of capital and people, global cities compete with others not only as tourist destinations but also for the attraction of investors, skilled labour and well-educated citizens. In this research, the image of the historic city of Florence is investigated from the perspective of tourists and residents to assess the feasibility of joining historic cities to the global world. The sample size included 384 people who were randomly selected in the historic centre of Florence and answered the research questionnaire. The data was then analysed by descriptive statistics and logistic regression test. The findings show that although appropriate environmental qualities have made Florence highly successful in attracting tourists, what can promote the sustainability level of this historic city in the globalisation era is the organisation of urban planning in order to gain a part of global economic and human capital by creating the precise and unique image of the city.