A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and

business Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or Trade, buying and selling Product (business), products (such as goods and Service (economics), services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for ...

center of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "

city centre A city centre, also known as an urban core, is the Commerce, commercial, Culture, cultural and often the historical, Politics, political, and geographic heart of a city. The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English, and closely e ...

" or "

downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in American and Canadian English to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ( ...

". However, these concepts are not necessarily synonymous: many cities have a central ''business'' district located away from its traditional city center, and there may be multiple CBDs within a single urban area. The CBD will often be highly accessible and have a large variety and concentration of specialised goods and services compared to other parts of the city.

Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan, serving as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Building, the ...

is the world's largest central business district. In the

City of London The City of London, also known as ''the City'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and Districts of England, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in England. It is the Old town, his ...

, the largest concentration of economic output in the world is held there, with many headquarters of major financial and law firms being based in the City. Chicago downtown view from Sears

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, the Chicago Loop is the second-largest central business district in the United States. It is also referred to as the core of the city's downtown.

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

also has its own historic city center, the colonial era "Centro Histórico", along with two CBDs: the mid-late 20th century Paseo de la Reforma in Polanco, and the new Santa Fe, respectively.

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

's largest central business district is the

Moscow International Business Center The Moscow International Business Center (MIBC), also known as Moscow-City, is an under-construction commercial development in Moscow, the capital of Russia. The project occupies an area of 60 hectares, and is located just east of the Third Rin ...

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

. The shape and type of a central business district almost always closely reflect the city's history. Cities with strong

preservation Preservation may refer to: Heritage and conservation * Preservation (library and archival science), activities aimed at prolonging the life of a record while making as few changes as possible * ''Preservation'' (magazine), published by the Nat ...

laws and maximum building height restrictions to retain the character of the historic and cultural core may have a CBD quite a distance from the city centre (and in some cases, outside the city limits itself). This distinction is quite common in European cities such as:

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

and

Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

. The

New World The term "New World" is used to describe the majority of lands of Earth's Western Hemisphere, particularly the Americas, and sometimes Oceania."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: ...

grew quickly after the emergence of modern transport, therefore a single centre often included many of the region's tallest buildings and served as both a commercial and cultural city centre. 13-08-06-abu-dhabi-by-RalfR-114

In the 21st century, increasing urbanisation has led to the development of megacities that often have multiple CBDs scattered across the urban area. Downtown sections of cities, especially in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

, often are distinct from CBDs and city centres. No two CBDs have the same spatial shape, but there are certain common geometric patterns, which are largely a result of centralised commercial and industrial activities.

Australia

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

, the term CBD is widely used officially and colloquially, in the sense of city centre. The three biggest cities,

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

and

Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...

have large CBDs. Sydney features growing micro central business districts, which serve as the hub for their respective areas outside the CBD. An example is

Parramatta Parramatta (; ) is a suburb (Australia), suburb and major commercial centre in Greater Western Sydney. Parramatta is located approximately west of the Sydney central business district, Sydney CBD, on the banks of the Parramatta River. It is co ...

(which is considered the financial hub of Western Sydney), Chatswood and North Sydney. Also on the outskirts of Brisbane, within ''Brisbane-Gold Coast urban area'' with a population of three million,Demographia: World Urban Areas
– Demographia, 08.2023 a new micro

central business district A central business district (CBD) is the Commerce, commercial and business center of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides wit ...

being created in

Southport Southport is a seaside resort, seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. It lies on the West Lancashire Coastal Plain, West Lancashire coastal plain and the east coast of the Irish Sea, approximately north of ...

. File:Sydney CBD, northeast view 20230224 1.jpg,

Sydney central business district The Sydney central business district (CBD) is the historical and main Central business district, commercial centre of Sydney. The CBD is Sydney's city centre, or Sydney City, and the two terms are used interchangeably. Colloquially, the CBD or ...

File:CBD Melbourne.jpg, Melbourne central business district File:Skylines of Brisbane CBD in June 2019 seen from Paddington, Queensland.jpg, Brisbane central business district File:Perth CBD skyline from State War Memorial Lookout, 2023, 04.jpg, Perth central business district File:Adelaide skyline, December 2022.jpg,

Adelaide central business district Adelaide city centre () is the inner city locality of Adelaide, Greater Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. It is known by locals simply as "the City" or "Town" to distinguish it from Greater Adelaide and from the City of Adelaide l ...

File:Darwin homebanner (cropped).jpg,

Darwin central business district Darwin City (also referred to as ''Darwin city centre'' or ''The CBD'') is a suburb in Darwin, Northern Territory, metropolitan Darwin which comprises the original settlement, the central business district, parkland and other built-up areas. It ...

File:Canberra Civic Centre-1.jpg, Canberra central business district

Brazil

São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...

is a multipolar city, with several business districts. Avenida Faria Lima and the neighboring districts, Itaim Bibi and Vila Olímpia, now concentrate a large part of the financial activities in São Paulo and

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

. Avenida Paulista and nearby streets is a well-established financial center that has several banking offices and corporate headquarters, as well as hospitals. Its Historic Center was the city's first business center; There, the São Paulo Stock Exchange is located. The region comprising Avenidas Berrini, Doutor Chucri Zaidan, and Nações Unidas, the city's newest commercial district, has offices of multinational companies and also commercial services. In

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

, Brazil's second-largest city, the main business district still is in downtown, where Petrobrás and Vale headquarters are located, but there is a concentration of business in Botafogo harbor and in Barra da Tijuca, a newer Rio de Janeiro suburb located in city's west region. File:Avenida Paulista - chão.jpg, Avenida Paulista, São Paulo File:Marginal Pinheiros e Jockey Club.jpg, Itaim Bibi, with a view of Marginal Pinheiros, São Paulo File:14 06 2019 Foto do dia (48063388692).jpg, CENU in Brooklin Novo, São Paulo File:Vale do Anhangabaú Sao Paulo.jpg, Historic Center of São Paulo, where the São Paulo Stock Exchange is located File:Vila Olímpia.JPG, Avenida Faria Lima in Vila Olímpia, São Paulo File:Itaim Bibi Business District.jpg, Itaim Bibi, in Pinheiros, São Paulo File:Skyline of São Paulo at dusk (318298) (cropped).jpg, Jardins, São Paulo File:Urca, Rio de Janeiro - State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - panoramio (14).jpg,

Downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in American and Canadian English to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ( ...

, Rio de Janeiro File:Belo Horizonte view 081610.jpg, Centro, Belo Horizonte File:Bairro de Boa Viagem - Zona Sul - Recife, Pernambuco, Brasil.jpg, Boa Viagem, Recife

China

File:Skyline of Beijing CBD with B-5906 approaching (20211016171955).jpg,

Central business district A central business district (CBD) is the Commerce, commercial and business center of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides wit ...

, Beijing File:Pudong Shanghai November 2017 panorama.jpg,

Lujiazui Lujiazui (, ) is a locality in Shanghai, a peninsula formed by a bend in the Huangpu River. Since the early 1990s, Lujiazui has been developed specifically as a new financial district of Shanghai. The decision to earmark Lujiazui for this purp ...

, Shanghai File:Guangzhou skyline.jpg,

Zhujiang New Town Zhujiang New Town or Zhujiang New City is a central business district in Tianhe District, Guangzhou city, Guangdong province, China. It is bounded by Huangpu Avenue on the north, the Pearl River on the south, Guangzhou Avenue on the west ...

, Guangzhou File:Commercial area of futian to east2020.jpg, Futian District, Shenzhen File:Jiefangbei.jpg, Jiefangbei, Chongqing File:天津中央商务区1.jpg, Xiaobailou,

Tianjin Tianjin is a direct-administered municipality in North China, northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the National Central City, nine national central cities, with a total population of 13,866,009 inhabitants at the time of the ...

File:东方之门1.jpg, Jinji Lake, Suzhou File:Wuhan CBD Buildings.jpg, Wangjiadun,

Wuhan Wuhan; is the capital of Hubei, China. With a population of over eleven million, it is the most populous city in Hubei and the List of cities in China by population, eighth-most-populous city in China. It is also one of the nine National cent ...

File:杭州钱江新城 4.jpg, Qianjiang New City, Hangzhou File:Hexi CBD, Nanjing.jpg, Hexi New Town,

Nanjing Nanjing or Nanking is the capital of Jiangsu, a province in East China. The city, which is located in the southwestern corner of the province, has 11 districts, an administrative area of , and a population of 9,423,400. Situated in the Yang ...

File:Ningbo South Business District 24-09-2018.jpg, Ningbo South, Ningbo File:51361-Qingdao May Fourth Square.jpg, May Fourth Square, Qingdao File:Furong Middle Road.jpg, Furong,

Changsha Changsha is the capital of Hunan, China. It is the 15th most populous city in China with a population of 10,513,100, the Central China#Cities with urban area over one million in population, third-most populous city in Central China, and the ...

File:20220812 Central Business District of Zhengdong New Area.jpg, Zhengdong New Area, Zhengzhou File:Qiandeng Lake Park at Night 9.jpg, Qiandeng Lake,

Foshan Foshan (, ; Chinese: 佛山) is a prefecture-level city in central Guangdong Province, China. The entire prefecture covers and had a population of 9,498,863 as of the 2020 census. The city is part of the western side of the Pearl River Delta m ...

File:Fuzhou Taixi CBD.jpg, Minjiang North,

Fuzhou Fuzhou is the capital of Fujian, China. The city lies between the Min River (Fujian), Min River estuary to the south and the city of Ningde to the north. Together, Fuzhou and Ningde make up the Eastern Min, Mindong linguistic and cultural regi ...

File:Skyline of CBD, Jinan, China.jpg, Lixia District, Jinan File:Skylines of Hefei at Tianehu.jpg, Tian'e Lake,

Hefei Hefei is the Capital city, capital of Anhui, China. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, and cultural center of Anhui. Its population was 9,369,881 as of the 2020 census. Its built-up (or ''metro'') area is made up of four u ...

File:南宁东盟商务区.jpg, ASEAN Business District,

Nanning Nanning; is the capital of the Guangxi, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in South China, southern China. It is known as the "Green City (绿城) " because of its abundance of lush subtropical foliage. Located in the South of Guangxi, Nanning ...

File:Hengqin Port2021.jpg, Hengqin,

Zhuhai Zhuhai; Yale romanization of Cantonese, Yale: ''Jyūhói''; Chinese postal romanization, also known as Chuhai is a prefecture-level city located on the west bank of the Pearl River (China), Pearl River estuary on the central coast of southern ...

File:Urumqi Skyline July 2019.jpg, Tianshan District, Ürümqi

Colombia

The largest CBD in

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish Imperial period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city, capital and largest city ...

's ''Centro Internacional'', where some of the tallest buildings in

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

have been repurposed as national headquarters for Scotiabank Colpatria, Davivienda, and Bancolombia, among others. Over the years, Bogotá has developed minor business districts, which include ''Avenida Chile'', ''Ciudad Salitre'', with companies like Avianca, Rappi, Johnson & Johnson, Terpel, Hilton,

Hyatt Hyatt Hotels Corporation, commonly known as Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, is an American multinational corporation, multinational hospitality company headquartered in the 150 North Riverside, Riverside Plaza area of Chicago that manages and franchise ...

, Marriott, Sheraton, Ramada, City Express, Aloft and Novotel; or ''Complejo Santa Bárbara'', the last of which features the only W Hotel in the city. Colombia's other notable CBDs include ''Parque Berrío'' in

Medellín Medellín ( ; or ), officially the Special District of Science, Technology and Innovation of Medellín (), is the List of cities in Colombia, second-largest city in Colombia after Bogotá, and the capital of the department of Antioquia Departme ...

, '' Bocagrande'' in Cartagena (the largest touristic CBD in the country), and ''Paseo de Bolívar'' in

Barranquilla Barranquilla () is the capital district of the Atlántico department in Colombia. It is located near the Caribbean Sea and is the largest city and third port in the Caribbean region of Colombia, Caribbean coast region; as of 2018, it had a popul ...

. File:Baluarte de Santiago CTG 11 2019 2137.jpg, '' Bocagrande'' in Cartagena, the largest CBD in Colombia's Caribbean Region File:Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria.JPG, ''Parque Berrío'' in

, the second largest CBD in Colombia File:Torre de Cali (1).JPG, '' Cali's Downtown'' it is the largest CBD in Colombia's Pacific Region File:Edificio North Point Bogotá , Cund.jpeg, ''

North Point North Point is a mixed-use urban area in the Eastern District, Hong Kong, Eastern District of Hong Kong. Located in the northeastern part of Hong Kong Island, the area is named after a cape between Causeway Bay and Tsat Tsz Mui that projects ...

'' CBD in

, the third largest in the city. File:Grand Bay Club.jpg, ''Grand Bay Club'' in

, the second largest CBD in the city

England

The

and

Canary Wharf Canary Wharf is a financial area of London, England, located in the Isle of Dogs in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The Greater London Authority defines it as part of London's central business district, alongside Central London. Alongside ...

serve as not only England's, but the entire United Kingdom's largest (via economic output) CBDs. The City hold the crown of the vastest concentration of economic output in the world. London and Canary Wharf house a significant number of the world's largest corporations. In the 2023 Fortune 500 Europe list, London had 44 companies, making up about 9% of the list's revenue. Specifically, Shell and BP are headquartered in London, with other notable companies like Unilever and GSK also being based there. Canary Wharf, a major financial district in London, is also home to many global financial institutions, including

HSBC HSBC Holdings plc ( zh, t_hk=滙豐; initialism from its founding member The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation) is a British universal bank and financial services group headquartered in London, England, with historical and business li ...

Citigroup Citigroup Inc. or Citi (Style (visual arts), stylized as citi) is an American multinational investment banking, investment bank and financial services company based in New York City. The company was formed in 1998 by the merger of Citicorp, t ...

Wells Fargo Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational financial services company with a significant global presence. The company operates in 35 countries and serves over 70 million customers worldwide. It is a systemically important fi ...

Barclays Barclays PLC (, occasionally ) is a British multinational universal bank, headquartered in London, England. Barclays operates as two divisions, Barclays UK and Barclays International, supported by a service company, Barclays Execution Services ...

JPMorgan Chase JPMorgan Chase & Co. (stylized as JPMorganChase) is an American multinational financial services, finance corporation headquartered in New York City and incorporated in Delaware. It is List of largest banks in the United States, the largest ba ...

MetLife MetLife, Inc. is the Holding company, holding corporation for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (MLIC), better known as MetLife, and its affiliates. MetLife is among the largest global providers of insurance, Annuity (US financial produ ...

, Clifford Chance, and

Morgan Stanley Morgan Stanley is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company headquartered at 1585 Broadway in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. With offices in 42 countries and more than 80,000 employees, the firm's clients in ...

France

La Défense, west of

, is

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

's largest central business district. As of 2025, La Défense was Europe's largest purpose built business district. La Défense hosts 19 of the world's biggest 500 companies, whilst the Paris region as a whole hosts 29 of the world's 500 largest companies, establishing itself as the first city in Europe (and the third worldwide) for the number of companies classified in '' Fortune'' Fortune Global 500. File:La Défense depuis l'Arc de Triomphe Janvier 2023.jpg,

File:Lyon-part-dieu-2023.jpg,

Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

Germany

Frankfurt Am Main-Stadtansicht von der Deutschherrnbruecke zu Beginn der Abenddaemmerung

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, the terms ''Innenstadt'' and ''Stadtzentrum'' may be used to describe the central business district. These terms can be literally translated as "

inner city The term inner city (also called the hood) has been used, especially in the United States, as a euphemism for majority-minority lower-income residential districts that often refer to rundown neighborhoods, in a downtown or city centre area. Soc ...

" and "city center". Some of the larger cities have more than one central business district. For example,

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

alone has three. Due to Berlin's history of division during the

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

, the city contains central business districts both in West ( Kurfürstendamm) and in East Berlin ( Alexanderplatz), as well as a newly built business district near the Potsdamer Platz. The city's historic center (home to the Reichstag building, as well as the

Brandenburg Gate The Brandenburg Gate ( ) is an 18th-century Neoclassical architecture, neoclassical monument in Berlin. One of the best-known landmarks of Germany, it was erected on the site of a former city gate that marked the start of the road from Berlin t ...

and most federal ministries) was largely abandoned when the

Berlin Wall The Berlin Wall (, ) was a guarded concrete Separation barrier, barrier that encircled West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, separating it from East Berlin and the East Germany, German Democratic Republic (GDR; East Germany). Construction of the B ...

cut through the area. Only after the reunification with the redevelopment of Potsdamer Platz, and the construction of numerous shopping centers, government ministries, embassies, office buildings and entertainment venues, was the area revived. In

Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...

's city center, there is a business district called the " Bankenviertel". In

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in the state after Cologne and the List of cities in Germany with more than 100,000 inhabitants, seventh-largest city ...

, there is a business district which is located around the famous high street Königsallee with banks, shops and offices.

Hong Kong

Traditionally, the Central Business District "CBD" of

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

is Central, where many multinational financial services corporations have their headquarters. Consulates general and consulates of many countries are also located in this area, as is Government Hill, the site of the old government headquarters. As the Hong Kong SAR Government Headquarters moved to Tamar, Admiralty, the nearby area is also considered part of the CBD. In Quarry Bay, Taikoo Place and areas nearby, including Admiralty,

Wan Chai Wan Chai (Traditional Chinese characters, Chinese: 灣仔) is located in the western part of Wan Chai District on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. It is bounded by Canal Road, Hong Kong, Canal Road to the east, Arsenal St ...

and Causeway Bay, and Tsim Sha Tsui,

Kwun Tong Kwun Tong is an area in the Kwun Tong District of Hong Kong, situated at the eastern part of the Kowloon Peninsula, and its boundary stretches from Lion Rock in the north to Lei Yue Mun in the south, and from the winding paths of Kowloon P ...

, and Kowloon Bay are regarded as major business districts of Hong Kong. File:Hong Kong Island Skyline 2009.jpg, Central and Admiralty File:Vista del Puerto de Victoria desde Sky100, Hong Kong, 2013-08-09, DD 10.JPG, Tsim Sha Tsui File:Wan Chai Overview 2008.jpg,

File:Taikoo Place 2016.jpg, Quarry Bay

India

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

's capital

New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...

has been known for its CBD at Connaught Place. For the financial capital of the country, the famous CBD is The Bandra Kurla Complex in

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

. In

itself there is Nariman Point, which is another CBD including

Andheri Andheri (Help:IPA/Marathi, �n̪d̪ʱeɾiː is a suburb situated in Western Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Government and politics For administrative purposes, Andheri is bifurcated into Andheri (west) and Andheri (east). Andheri (west) comes ...

and

Parel Parel (ISO 15919, ISO: Paraḷ, pronunciation: Help:IPA/Marathi, əɾəɭ is a neighbourhood in the south of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Originally one of the Seven Islands of Bombay, Parel became an industrial center after the unificatio ...

. Parry's Corner and Nungambakkam are among the main CBDs of

Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...

Bangalore Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...

has five notable business districts: UB City, Brigade Gateway, Koramangala, Indiranagar, and Electronic City.

Lucknow Lucknow () is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and the largest city of the List of state and union territory capitals in India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is the administrative headquarters of the epon ...

has three business districts, including Hazratganj Market, Gomti Nagar Extension at the extended area of Gomti Nagar, and Aminabad in old Lucknow.

Kolkata Kolkata, also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary ...

also has central business districts, including B.B.D. Bagh, Park Circus, Esplanade, Salt Lake Sector V, and New Town. File:Kolkata Central business district's Skyline.jpg, Skyline of Chowringhee, Kolkata File:Drone_view_of_GIFT_City.svg, GIFT City, Gujarat File:Gachibowli,_in_the_Hyderabad_city,_Telengana_43.jpg, Skyline of Financial District, Hyderabad. File:UB_City,_Bangalore.JPG, Bangalore Central Business District File:Skyscrapers connaught place New Delhi.JPG, Connaught Place, New Delhi File:ওরলির_গগনরৈখিক_দৃশ্য.jpg,

, Mumbai

Indonesia

The largest CBD in

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

is the Golden Triangle (''Segitiga Emas'' in Indonesian) in

Jakarta Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...

Sudirman Central Business District Sudirman Central Business District (Indonesian: ), abbreviated and locally known as SCBD, is a business district with an integrated mixed-use development concept, located in Jalan Jenderal Sudirman, Sudirman Avenue, South Jakarta, Indonesia, with m ...

, a super block that is located within the Golden Triangle, is the first of its kind in Indonesia, and one of the largest commercial center developments in the city. Jakarta started developing its business district in the early 1960s before hosting the Asian Games in 1962.

Surabaya Surabaya is the capital city of East Java Provinces of Indonesia, province and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. Located on the northeastern corner of Java island, on the Madura Strai ...

in East Java built its first central business district in the Darmo region. The construction was expected to be completed by 2018 with 150 SOHO units and 500 residences.

Italy

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, business districts do not coincide with the geographical centers of the city because the city center is the historical center of the city, and usually not very suitable to function as a modern business district. A precursor to modern business districts is EUR in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, which is now home to several national and international companies and public bodies. The EUR, the Napoli business district, the Milan business district, and City Life, are among the most important commercial areas in Italy. Other important business and financial centers are present in

Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...

and

Brescia Brescia (, ; ; or ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the region of Lombardy, in Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Lake Garda, Garda and Lake Iseo, Iseo. With a population of 199,949, it is the se ...

. File:Milan skyline around Unicredit Tower from Duomo.jpg, Centro Direzionale di Milano, view of the Porta Nuova skyscrapers File:Tramonto civile - panoramio.jpg, Brescia Due, Brescia File:The Eni building, Quartiere XXXII Europa, Roma, Lazio, Italy - panoramio.jpg, View of the Palazzo Eni in EUR, Rome File:Veduta delle tre torri del quartiere Citylife a Milano.jpg, City Life, Milan File:Il Centro San Benigno a Genova visto da Mura degli Angeli, settembre 2014.jpg, San Benigno, Genoa

Japan

Fukuoka is the List of Japanese cities by population, sixth-largest city in Japan and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancient times. ...

( Chūō-ku, Fukuoka) *

Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui has b ...

( Naka-ku, Hiroshima) *

Kobe Kobe ( ; , ), officially , is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. With a population of around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's List of Japanese cities by population, seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Port of Toky ...

( Chūō-ku, Kobe) *

Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...

( Nakagyō-ku, Kyoto) *

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...

(

Naka-ku, Nagoya is one of the 16 Wards of Japan, wards of the city of Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 October 2019, the ward has an estimated population of 90,918 and a population density of 9,693 persons per km2. The total area is 9.38 km2. G ...

, Nakamura-ku, Nagoya) *

Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...

( Chūō-ku, Osaka, Kita-ku, Osaka) *

Sapporo is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in Hokkaido, Japan. Located in the southwest of Hokkaido, it lies within the alluvial fan of the Toyohira River, a tributary of the Ishikari River. Sapporo is the capital ...

( Chūō-ku, Sapporo) *

Sendai is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Miyagi Prefecture and the largest city in the Tōhoku region. , the city had a population of 1,098,335 in 539,698 households, making it the List of cities in Japan, twelfth most populated city in Japan. ...

(

Aoba-ku, Sendai is one of five Wards of Japan, wards of Sendai, the largest city in the Tōhoku region of Japan. Aoba-ku encompasses 302.278 km² and had a population of 296,551, with 147,622 households as of March 1, 2012. Infrastructure The Miyagi P ...

) *

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

(

Special wards of Tokyo The of Tokyo are a special form of Municipalities of Japan, municipalities in Japan under the 1947 Local Autonomy Act, Local Autonomy Law. They are city-level wards: primary subdivisions of a prefecture with municipal autonomy largely comparabl ...

) *

Yokohama is the List of cities in Japan, second-largest city in Japan by population as well as by area, and the country's most populous Municipalities of Japan, municipality. It is the capital and most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a popu ...

(

Naka-ku, Yokohama is one of the 18 Wards of Japan, wards of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. In 2010, the ward had an estimated population of 146,563 and a population density of 7,080 persons per km². The total area was 20.86 km². Geogr ...

) File:View from Fukuoka Tower at Blue Hour.jpg,

( Tenjin) File:Hiroshima skyline.jpg,

( Hondōri) File:Kobe Kobe Port Tower Panoaramablick 03.jpg,

( Sannomiya) File:Kyoto Skylines from Shōren-in03.jpg,

( Nakagyō-ku) File:Sakae night.jpg,

( Sakae) File:Meieki from Heiwa Park Aqua Tower.jpg,

( Meieki) File:Viewed from the Nakanoshima Festival Tower in 201510 001.JPG,

( Hommachi) File:Osaka Umeda Sky Building Panoramablick 05.jpg,

( Umeda) File:SapporoCity CBD.jpg,

( Ōdōri) File:DownTown of SendaiCity02.jpg,

( Ichibanchō) File:六本木之丘天空甲板 (16017557537).jpg,

( Chiyoda) File:Tokyo Skyline20210123.jpg,

( Shinjuku) File:Akasaka skyline 201806.jpg,

( Minato) File:Yokohama Marine Tower (view from) 04.JPG,

( Kannai)

Pakistan

In Pakistan, a central business district or a large, concentrated urban setting within a settlement is called a shehar.

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

is Pakistan's largest city and the country's economic hub; the I. I. Chundrigar Road acts as Karachi's main financial district. Shahra-e-Faisal in Karachi is also one of the most important business districts of Pakistan. Gulberg, Lahore has a large number of important office buildings as well as many high-rises and shopping malls.

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

established its first central business district, Lahore Central Business District, also known as Central Business District Punjab (CBD Punjab) by an ACT of Parliament (LCBDDA Act, 2021) in February 2021. Jinnah Avenue in

Islamabad Islamabad (; , ; ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's tenth-most populous city with a population of over 1.1 million and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital Territory. Bu ...

is the main business district of the city. Blue Area is the central business district of

. D Ground is the central business district of

Faisalabad Faisalabad, formerly known as Lyallpur, is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, second-largest city and primary List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, industrial center of the Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan ...

and Saddar is the main central business district of

Rawalpindi Rawalpindi is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, third-largest city in the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is a commercial and industrial hub, being the list of cities in P ...

Peru

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

, the central business district is San Isidro, in

Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...

, which hosts the majority of Peru's financial industry headquarters. Although still a largely residential district, the commercial and business activity located in or in the vicinity of the area. It has a permanent population of around 63,000 inhabitants and, during weekday business hours, a floating population that exceeds 700,000 daily commuters from other districts in

, the national capital. San Isidro is served by three stations of El Metropolitano, Lima's bus rapid transit system: Estación Javier Prado, Estación Canaval y Moreyra (with over 16,000 daily passengers) and Estación Aramburú. In the early 21st century, the southeastern district of Surco experienced a significant increase in upscale corporate developments in the area comprised by avenues Manuel Holguín, El Derby, El Polo, and La Encalada due to lower restrictions to grant

construction permit Planning permission or building permit refers to the approval needed for construction or expansion (including significant renovation), and sometimes for demolition, in some jurisdictions. House building permits, for example, are subject to bu ...

and proximity to residential middle and upper class districts and is set to become, after traditional San Isidro and Miraflores, the new

financial center A financial centre (financial center in American English) or financial hub is a location with a significant concentration of commerce in financial services. The commercial activity that takes place in a financial centre may include banking, ...

Philippines

The Philippines has three major central business districts, which are all located in Metro Manila. Bonifacio Global City (second) is the newest and one of the largest central business districts in the Philippines. The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), Ayala Land, Inc. and Evergreen Holdings, Inc. controls Fort Bonifacio Development Corporation, which oversees the master planning of Bonifacio Global City. Ortigas Center (fourth), with an area of more than 100 hectares (250 acres), is the Philippines' second most important business district after the Makati CBD and is home to Asian Development Bank. Meanwhile, the Makati Central Business District (third), also known as the Makati CBD, is the leading financial and the largest central business district in the Philippines. File:Clark Global city 2023.jpg, Clark Global City File:View from Grand Hyatt Manila overlooking Bonifacio Global City and Makati skylines at sunset.jpg, Bonifacio Global City File:Makati City Lights (Jopet Sy) - Flickr.jpg, Makati Central Business District File:Ortigas Tonight.jpg,

Ortigas Center Ortigas Center (also known as the Ortigas Central Business District or Ortigas CBD) is a central business district located within the joint boundaries of Pasig, Mandaluyong and Quezon City, within Metro Manila in the Philippines. With an area o ...

Poland

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

, the terms ''śródmieście'' or ''centrum'' are often used to describe the central business district. File:Panorama siekierkowski.jpg, Business center in

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

File:Katowice city centre (4).jpg, Business center in

Katowice Katowice (, ) is the capital city of the Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland and the central city of the Katowice urban area. As of 2021, Katowice has an official population of 286,960, and a resident population estimate of around 315,000. K ...

Russia

The largest central business district in

is the

(MIBC) in

, a commercial development located just east of the Third Ring Road at the western edge of the Presnensky District in the Central Administrative Okrug of the city. As of 2021, it is still under development. The construction of the MIBC takes place on the Presnenskaya Embankment of the

Moskva River The Moskva (, ''Moskva-reka'') is a river that flows through western Russia. It rises about west of Moscow and flows roughly east through the Smolensk and Moscow Oblasts, passing through central Moscow. About southeast of Moscow, at the cit ...

, approximately 4 kilometers (2.5 mi) west of Red Square, overlooked by the Third Ring Road. The project occupies an area of 60 hectares. The second-largest central business district is

Yekaterinburg-City Yekaterinburg-City (, ''Yekaterinburg-Siti'') is a commercial district near the center of the city of Yekaterinburg, Russia. It is located on Street of Boris Yeltsin, Boris Yeltsin Street on the embankment of the Iset River and is currently unde ...

Yekaterinburg Yekaterinburg (, ; ), alternatively Romanization of Russian, romanized as Ekaterinburg and formerly known as Sverdlovsk ( ; 1924–1991), is a city and the administrative centre of Sverdlovsk Oblast and the Ural Federal District, Russia. The ci ...

, the fourth-largest city in the country. It is located on the Iset River, and is under development as of 2021. The area occupies five hectares. File:Moscow City2019.jpg, MIBC in

, one of the largest

s in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

and the world, includes several of Europe's tallest skyscrapers. File:Yekaterinburg-City (September 2022) - 1.jpg,

, the second-largest central business district in

File:Grozny, Russia, Grozny Towers at night.jpg, Grozny-City in

Grozny Grozny (, ; ) is the capital city of Chechnya, Russia. The city lies on the Sunzha River. According to the 2021 Russian census, 2021 census, it had a population of 328,533 — up from 210,720 recorded in the 2002 Russian Census, 2002 ce ...

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

has several business districts, including: *

Mecca Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above ...

( King Abdullah Economic City) *

Riyadh Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. Located on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa, the current form of the metropolis largely emerged in th ...

( King Abdullah Financial District) File:The king Abdullah Financial District..JPG File:King fahad olaya-road Riyadh.jpg

Singapore

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

, the CBD is in the Downtown Core, one of the constituent planning areas of the Central Area, the country's city center. Its densest point is centered around Raffles Place, where most of Singapore's skyscrapers are located. The CBD sometimes also describes Central Area as a whole. Singapore's CBD is the historic heart of the city-state, which makes it a mix of a tourist attraction and a business center. The CBD includes several multinational corporate headquarters, Singapore Management University, and historical buildings and museums. As of 2016, the Singaporean government intends to redevelop Jurong East into a second CBD in Singapore. The area has also been earmarked as the site of the rail terminus for the Kuala Lumpur–Singapore High Speed Rail.

South Africa

Cape Town CBD skyline as seen from De Waterkant

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

's largest cities,

Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...

Durban Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the Provinces of South Africa, province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South ...

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...

Pretoria Pretoria ( ; ) is the Capital of South Africa, administrative capital of South Africa, serving as the seat of the Executive (government), executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to the country. Pretoria strad ...

, and

Port Elizabeth Gqeberha ( , ), formerly named Port Elizabeth, and colloquially referred to as P.E., is a major seaport and the most populous city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is the seat of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipal ...

, have CBDs that include the corporate headquarters for many of South Africa's largest companies, its

convention center A convention center (American and British English spelling differences, American English; or conference centre in British English) is a large building that is designed to hold a Convention (meeting), convention, where individuals and groups ...

s, and many of the country's tallest buildings. Cape Town has one of South Africa's most iconic skyline (which includes

Table Mountain Table Mountain (; ) is a flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town in South Africa. It is a significant tourist attraction, with many visitors using the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, cableway or hik ...

) and the city's CBD.

South Korea

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

, the national capital of

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

includes three central business districts. The Downtown Seoul, a historic area inside the Fortress Wall of Seoul in the Jongno and Jung districts has historically been the city's political, social and cultural heart, and still houses many corporate headquarters and political institutions in South Korea. It is also the most popular area for tourists and the city's main commercial district. While the district has a high density of high rise buildings, the tallest building, the SK Building, only reaches a height of 160m due to historic preservation regulations. The second main district, located in the southeast part of Seoul, is Gangnam District, an area that was developed in the 1980s and is now among the city's most affluent neighborhoods. The Gangnam District has concentration mainly in economic power of Seoul, as many of prominent company HQs are located on Teheran Avenue. Gangnam Avenue and Yeondong Avenue, which includes the COEX mall, are major thoroughfares in Seoul. The tallest buildings in Gangnam include Tower Palace One, a residential complex, Trade Tower, Gangnam Finance Center, and Parnas Tower. Seoul's third business district is Yeouido, an island located in central Seoul in the

Yeongdeungpo District Yeongdeungpo District () is one of the List of districts of Seoul, 25 districts of Seoul, South Korea. Although the origin of the name is uncertain, the first two syllables are thought to be from "''yeongdeung''" (靈登) or "divine ascent", a ...

. Yeouido was developed in the 1970s; since the 1990s, however, it has become Seoul's financial center. Smaller in geographic size that the other two business districts, Yeouido has some of Seoul's tallest skyscrapers, including Parc1 Tower, International Finance Center Seoul, and the 63 Building. Yeouido is where the National Assembly of South Korea and many media companies and political institutions are based. Smaller but notable central business districts in South Korea include the Jamsil area, which is the location of the 555-metre tall Lotte World Tower, Guro Digital Complex, Gasan Digital Complex, the Magok Business District, the Sangam Digital Media City, the Munjeong Administrative Town, and Mapo Avenue. The area near Yongsan Station, including the proposed Yongsan International Business District, is considered an emerging major commercial district that will exist in synergy with nearby Yeouido. In

Busan Busan (), officially Busan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's second list of cities in South Korea by population, most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.3 million as of 2024. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economi ...

, South Korea's second-largest city, the central business district is along the Jungang Avenue, starting around the commercial area of Seomyeon Station and then proceeding south to the Busan International Finance Center in Munhyeon-dong and the area near Busan Station and Jungang-dong, where several corporate offices are located. A second major business district in Busan is Centum City, in the Haeundae District. File:Yoon Dongju 19 (7869936998).jpg,

( Downtown Seoul) File:Seoul Tower View.jpg,

( Gangnam) File:Yeouido, Seoul.jpg,

( Yeouido) File:Busan Haeundae Centum City.jpg,

( Haeundae)

Spain

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, the largest central business districts are in

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

, the national capital. Paseo de la Castellana includes the city's main business districts: the Gate of Europe, AZCA, and CTBA. AZCA is super block near Real Madrid's stadium Santiago Bernabéu. It was the country's main business area during the late 20th century when most of the region's skyscrapers were developed. The tallest building in AZCA is the Torre Picasso, a 158-storey tower that was designed by Minoru Yamasaki architect, and includes the national headquarters for several multinational corporations, including

Google Google LLC (, ) is an American multinational corporation and technology company focusing on online advertising, search engine technology, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, consumer electronics, and artificial ...

and Deloitte. There is also Madrid Nuevo Norte, starting construction in 2025. Making it one of the largest urban rehabilitation projects in Europe. It will include a new Central Business District, connecting with the already constructed Cuatro Torres Business Area. The Gate of Europe has twin towers, which hold Spanish bank Bankia and Realia, a real estate company. A few blocks north of the Gate of Europe is CTBA, a complex of four skyscrapers that are the tallest in Spain. Notable architects, including Norman Foster, Ieoh Ming Pei, and

Cesar Pelli Cesar or César may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''César'' (film), a 1936 French romantic drama * ''César'' (play), a play by Marcel Pagnolt Places * Cesar, Portugal * Cesar Department, Colombia * Cesar River, in Colombia * Cesar ...

, have designed its towers, which were completed in 2008. The tallest building, Torre de Cristal, is the fourth-tallest building is

Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's extent varies depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the Western half of the ancient Mediterranean ...

with a height of . The complex houses the Spain-based headquarters for several multinational corporations, including KPMG,

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a cola soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. In 2013, Coke products were sold in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, with consumers drinking more than 1.8 billion company beverage servings ...

Volkswagen Volkswagen (VW; )English: , . is a German automotive industry, automobile manufacturer based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Established in 1937 by German Labour Front, The German Labour Front, it was revitalized into the global brand it ...

, Bankia,

Cepsa Moeve, formerly known as Cepsa, (, "Spanish petroleum company, S.A.") is a Spanish multinational integrated energy and petroleum company headquartered at Torre Cepsa in the Cuatro Torres Business Area in Madrid. As of 2024, Moeve produced ...

Pwc PricewaterhouseCoopers, also known as PwC, is a Multinational corporation, multinational professional services network based in London, United Kingdom. It is the second-largest professional services network in the world and is one of the Big Fo ...

, OHL, and the embassies of the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, and

, and a five-star hotel owned by Eurostars. A fifth tower is being for Instituto de Empresa university. In

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

, the 22@, Gran Via and Granvia l'Hospitalet are the city's two main business districts. The Catalan capital does not have a reputation for skyscrapers and financial hubs, but has attracted several media and technology companies, including

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company, technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the History of personal computers#The ear ...

and

Yahoo! Yahoo (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web portal that provides the search engine Yahoo Search and related services including My Yahoo, Yahoo Mail, Yahoo News, Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Sports, y!entertainment, yahoo!life, and its a ...

. In 2005, the

Torre Agbar ''Torre'' (plurals ''torri'' and ''torres'') means ''tower'' in seven Romance languages ( Portuguese, Spanish, Galician, Catalan, Italian, Occitan and Corsican) and may refer to: Biology * Muir-Torre syndrome, the inherited cancer syndrom ...

, designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, is the third-tallest building in Barcelona with a height of and was intended to become a

hotel once administrative issues are resolved. Moreover,

is building the new La Sagrera station which will include a new office buildings, parks and culture centers. Construction has already started by moving the railway tracks in the area underground. File:AZCA.c.m.2.jpg, AZCA and CTBA business districts in Madrid File:Central business district of Barcelona (2).JPG, 22@ district in Barcelona File:Valencia XXI.jpg, business district in

Valencia Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...

Taiwan

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

, the term "city centre" () is often used instead of central business district, but a different commercial district outside of the historic core is typically labelled a CBD (), "financial district" (), or "Yolk area" (). Taiwan also has many traditional central business districts. In

Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...

, the capital city of

, the area around its main railway station, including the Taipei West District Gateway Project, is regarded as Taipei's historic centre; it is home to many of Taiwan's national government buildings, including the Presidential Office, the

Executive Yuan The Executive Yuan () is the executive (government), executive branch of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Under the Additional Articles of the Constitution of the Republic of China, amended constitution, the head of the Execut ...

, the Control Yuan, the Legislative Yuan, the

Judicial Yuan The Judicial Yuan () is the Judiciary, judicial branch of the Republic of China.''See'' Constitution arts. 77-82, ''available at'' ''See'' Additional Articles of the Constitution art. 5, ''available at'' It functions as the Constitutional Cour ...

, and various government ministries. The second main district, in the central part Taipei, is the Xinyi Special District, which was developed mostly in the 1990s, and has emerged as Taipei's financial, political, and commercial center. The district includes the greatest concentration of corporate headquarters and offices in Taipei and is amongst the nation's largest shopping districts. It also includes many of Taipei's tallest skyscrapers, including the -tall Taipei 101, Taipei Nan Shan Plaza, and Fubon Xinyi A25. Taipei's third business district, Nangang District, is situated in the very east of the city. Nangang was developed in the early 21st century and is the seat of the

Academia Sinica Academia Sinica (AS, ; zh, t=中央研究院) is the national academy of the Taiwan, Republic of China. It is headquartered in Nangang District, Taipei, Nangang, Taipei. Founded in Nanjing, the academy supports research activities in mathemat ...

, Taipei World Trade Center Nangang Exhibition Hall, and Nankang Software Park (NKSP). Greater Taipei serves as a multi-central

metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban area, urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share Industry (economics), industries, commercial areas, Transport infrastructure, transport network ...

, and a few other areas have become important business districts, including Daan District, Xinban Special District,

Neihu District Neihu District is a District (Taiwan), district of Taipei, Taipei City, Taiwan. Neihu means "inner lake." The older name originates from the Ketagalan word ''Tayour'' (transliterated by the Dutch as ''Cattajo''), meaning woman's head ornament. ...

and Xinzhuang Sub-city Center, which is considered to have the potential to emerge as a major commercial district in Taiwan, functioning in synergy with nearby Sanchong District and Wugu District. In

Taichung Taichung (, Wade–Giles: '), officially Taichung City, is a special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality in central Taiwan. Taichung is Taiwan's second-largest city, with more than 2.85 million residents, making it the largest city in Ce ...

, Taiwan's second-largest city after Taipei, the central business district is Taichung's 7th Redevelopment Zone. It features broad and widely spaced boulevards, attractive apartments, department stores, and office towers, which are brightly lit at night. In

Kaohsiung Kaohsiung, officially Kaohsiung City, is a special municipality located in southern Taiwan. It ranges from the coastal urban center to the rural Yushan Range with an area of . Kaohsiung City has a population of approximately 2.73 million p ...

, Taiwan's harbour city, the central business district is Asia New Bay Area, which is home to the city's tallest skyscrapers, including 85 Sky Tower and Farglory THE ONE and Port of Kaohsiung, the nation's largest port. File:Taipei Night Skyline from Hongludi 20240113.jpg, Taipei's CBD skyline, with Taipei 101 in the ( Xinyi Special District) File:Taichung Skyline 20231202.jpg, Taichung's 7th Redevelopment Zone is the main CBD of Taichung. File:Kaohsiung Skyline with Dagang Bridge 2024.jpg, Asia New Bay Area is the main CBD of Kaohsiung.

Turkey

In Turkey,

Ankara Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and List of national capitals by area, the largest capital by area in the world. Located in the Central Anatolia Region, central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5,290,822 in its urban center ( ...

became the nation's capital in the early 20th century, but

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

has remained the main economic center of the country. But a 262 hectare central business district is planned in Varlık,

Altındağ Altındağ is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Ankara Province, Turkey. Its area is 123 km2, and its population is 413,994 (2022). It covers the northeastern part of the city of Ankara. Its elevation is . Demographics ...

. File:Söğütözü Ankara.jpg, Söğütözü,

File:Levent business district in Istanbul at night.jpg, Levent business district in

at night File:Maslak kerembarut.jpg, Maslak, Istanbul

References

{{Authority control Cities Neighbourhoods