The modern land of opportunity: Cosmopolitan cities attract independent immigrants

This chapter investigates why cosmopolitan cities are attractive to immigrants. To this end, this chapter includes three parts. Part I identifies four core features of a cosmopolitan city - vast economic opportunities; diversity; creativity; and equal treatment. This part also discusses certain indicators and citizens’ perceptions of urban cosmopolitanism, such as the proportion of freelancers, ethnical and sexual diversity, the number of patents generated, and intergenerational mobility. Part II investigates why cosmopolitan cities attract a certain kind of immigrants, namely people with a highly independent mindset. These are individuals with an orientation towards personal (vs. communal) goal pursuit, self-reliance (vs. dependence on others), and a preference for uniqueness (vs. conformity). The chapter argues that people with an independent mindset prefer moving to cosmopolitan cities because to them cities symbolize opportunities for personal success and self-realisation, freedom, and novel experiences. Part III discusses the implications of the chapter’s findings for entrepreneurship and prosperity. By attracting highly independent individuals motivated toward personal goal pursuit, self-realisation, and willing to take risks, cosmopolitan cities may become the hubs of economic growth and innovation.