New York ranks first as a global business center in a worldwide survey of cities, the fourth such recognition of its influence in the past five months. London, Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong trail New York on the Global Cities Index, released today by Bloomberg Rankings. Beijing and Shanghai emerged as potential rivals within 10 to 20 years, according to the index. The survey examined 66 of the world’s busiest commercial urban centers, judging each on the scope of its business activity; labor force; access to media and information; cultural amenities; and political influence. “Our goal was to find a measure that would ... (full story)