This book draws on evidence from global cities around the world and explores various dimensions of immigrant entrepreneurship and urban development. It provides a substantive contribution to the existing literature in several ways. First of all, it pursues a comparative approach, with case studies from both the global north and global south, so as to broaden the theoretical framework in this area especially as pertinent to emerging economies. Second, it covers multiple scales, from local community place-making, to urban contexts of reception, to transnational networks and connections. Third, it combines approaches and research methods from numerous disciplines, investigating entry dynamics, trends and patterns, business performance, challenges, and the impact of immigrant entrepreneurship in urban areas. Finally, it pays particular attention to current international experiences regarding urban policies on immigrant entrepreneurship. Given its scope, the book will be an enlightening read for anyone interested in immigration, entrepreneurship and urban development issues around the globe.
As global cities around the world continue to attract both domestic migrants and international migrants to their bustling metropolises, immigrant entrepreneurship is emerging as an important urban phenomenon that calls for careful examination. From Chinatown in New York, to Silicon Valley in San Francisco, to Little Africa in Guangzhou, immigrant-owned businesses are not only changing the business landscape in their host communities, but also transforming the spatial, economic, social, and cultural dynamics of cities and regions.

Dr. Cathy Yang Liu is Professor and Chair of the Public Management and Policy Department at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University, where she directs and teaches in the Planning and Economic Development Concentration. She conducts research and publishes widely in the areas of community and economic development, urban labor market and inequality, migration and entrepreneurship, as well as international urban development.
Dr. Liu currently serves as a managing editor for Journal of Urban Affairs and an associate editor for Economic Development Quarterly. She received her Ph.D. in Urban Planning from the University of Southern California and Master of Public Policy from the University of Chicago.

Introduction: Migrant entrepreneurship and urban development in Global Cities.- Part I: Changing Spaces and Place-making of Immigrant Entrepreneurship.- Changing Spaces? Migrant Entrepreneurship, the Informal Sector and the City of Johannesburg.- Shanghai on the Flushing River: Prospects for Immigrant-owned Small Businesses in Queens, New York.- The Impact of Immigrant Entrepreneurship on City Building: Learning from Toronto.- A New Immigrant Suburb of Atlanta: Norcross, Georgia.- Part II: Contexts of Reception, Trends and Patterns of Immigrant Entrepreneurship.- Contexts of Reception and Immigrant Entrepreneurship in Barcelona, Paris, New York, Washington, D.C., and El Paso.- Business Connections of Migrant Entrepreneurs: Finding a Niche in the Diverse City of Amsterdam.- Immigrant Entrepreneurship in Sydney: Australias Leading Global City.- Part III: Global Networks and Local Connections of Immigrant Entrepreneurship.- Immigrant Entrepreneurs and Businesses in Hong Kong.- Grassroots Globalization: New Immigrant Communities in Asia (Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam) and Africa.- Strangers in Emerging Global Cities: African and Chinese Merchants in Guangzhou and Yiwu, China.- Part IV: Policies towards Immigrant Entrepreneurship.- Revitalizing Urban America through the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program.- Policies towards Immigrant Entrepreneurship: A Comparative Perspective.