Guangzhou, Jerusalem, and New York are all important cities with long histories and big roles in the world today. They’ve each been shaped by outside influences—like foreign countries, big business, or different cultural groups—and you can see this in their buildings and neighborhoods. Each city also has a strong identity: Guangzhou shows off China’s fast growth and power, Jerusalem is full of religious meaning and political tension, and New York is seen as a symbol of modern life and money.

But the cities also have big differences. Guangzhou has changed quickly, with new buildings replacing older ones from the colonial era, showing China’s push to leave that past behind. Jerusalem, on the other hand, is still deeply divided, with different groups fighting for space and control. In New York, the city looks successful on the surface, but it’s also shaped by inequality, gentrification, and past systems of power. These differences show how cities can be used to express who’s in control—and who isn’t.

Looking through a postcolonial lens—a way of thinking about the effects of colonization—we can better understand what’s going on in these cities. Guangzhou was once partly controlled by foreign powers, but now China is working to take back the story of the city by building new, modern areas and removing signs of its colonial past. This shows how the country is trying to move forward and create its own image.

In Jerusalem, things are more complicated. The city is at the center of a long and ongoing conflict. Israeli government projects often push out Palestinian communities, changing the city in a way that supports one group’s story while ignoring others. This is a kind of modern colonization, where space and buildings are used to show power.

New York might seem different since it’s so wealthy and influential. But it also has a history of taking land from Native Americans, using enslaved labor, and benefiting from global power systems. Today, things like rising rent and displacement of poorer communities show how these old power systems are still at work. Even though New York isn’t a colony, it still has deep links to colonial ideas.

By using this lens, we see that all three cities are shaped by power—whether they’re pushing back against colonial pasts, stuck in conflict, or hiding inequality behind tall buildings and success stories.