scholarly journals Pathways of Change: Shifting Connectivities in the World City Network, 2000—08

Urban Studies ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 47 (9) ◽  
pp. 1861-1877 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Derudder ◽  
Peter Taylor ◽  
Pengfei Ni ◽  
Anneleen De Vos ◽  
Michael Hoyler ◽  
...  

This is an empirical paper that measures and interprets changes in intercity relations at the global scale in the period 2000—08. It draws on the network model devised by the Globalization and World Cities (GaWC) research group to measure global connectivities for 132 cities across the world in 2000 and 2008. The measurements for both years are adjusted so that a coherent set of services/cities is used. A range of statistical techniques is used to explore these changes at the city level and the regional scale. The most notable changes are: the general rise of connectivity in the world city network; the loss of global connectivity of US and sub-Saharan African cities (Los Angeles, San Francisco and Miami in particular); and, the gain in global connectivity of south Asian, Chinese and eastern European cities (Shanghai, Beijing and Moscow in particular).

Author(s):  
BEN DERUDDER ◽  
FRANK WITLOX ◽  
PETER J. TAYLOR ◽  
GILDA CATALANO

Although a detailed empirical analysis of the world city network is essential to attain insight in its functioning, it can be noted that previous explorations have been restricted to analyses of a limited number of thoroughly connected cities. A major reason for the neglect of less connected nodes in this global urban network is the sparse evidence on their world city formation. Drawing on earlier specifications and measurements of the world city network, the present paper shows how fuzzy set approach and pattern recognition can assess the inherent vagueness in classifications of lower ranked world cities. The resulting taxonomy asserts the intertwining relational tendencies of 234 cities in 20 clusters. Key findings include the distinctive profiles of US cities, the marginal position of (sub-Saharan) African and Central American cities, and Miami's particular role as a gateway between Anglo- and Latin America.


2011 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 187-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelika Münter

Abstract On a regional scale, two types of polycentricity can be observed. The first involves polycentric metropolitan regions that have evolved in the course of post-suburban development around a previously monocentric city, whereas the second type involves neighbouring metropolises evolving into a multi-core polycentric metropolitan region due to an increase in the functional interaction between each other. The German urban system is characterised by both types of polycentricity. In this paper I examine the role of these two types of polycentricity within the context of globalisation. I address the question of whether individual metropolitan cores and metropolitan cores and their associated post-suburban areas share the global functions of a metropolitan region or whether such functions are concentrated in a single city within the metropolitan region. To this end, I analyse the locations of leading global advanced producer service firms in Germany in their role as sub-nodes of the world city network. Finally, I discuss the empirical findings in the context of modelling the world city network.


Cities ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 72 ◽  
pp. 287-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Lüthi ◽  
Alain Thierstein ◽  
Michael Hoyler

2016 ◽  
Vol 49 (12) ◽  
pp. 2897-2915 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana Kleibert

The changing geography of service employment and the relocation of back-office service tasks to developing economies present a challenge to contemporary world city network research and methodology, as cost-driven offshoring may wrongly suggest a city’s increased importance in global city rankings. In particular, financial service firms, but also management consultancies, law firms, and other advanced producer service firms have offshored tasks abroad. These firms’ offices are attributed a vital role in the world city network literature and form the basis for world city rankings using the interlocking network model. Based on empirical research on advanced producer service firms in Metro Manila, the Philippines, this paper argues that the existence of linkages and the appearance ‘on the map’ of dominant economic flows does not automatically lead to an increased command and control position of Manila. Instead, the attraction of lower-end services leads to Manila’s dependent articulation into global service production networks. The findings challenge the key assumptions about ‘command functions’ and ‘strategic role’ of global cities that underpin the global city rankings. The paper critiques current conceptualisations of command and control in global urban network theory in the light of changing intra-firm divisions of labour in advanced producer service firms, and stresses the importance of qualitative research.


Urban Studies ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 50 (8) ◽  
pp. 1641-1647 ◽  
Author(s):  
John P. Boyd ◽  
Matthew C. Mahutga ◽  
David A. Smith

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Derudder ◽  
Zhan Cao ◽  
Xingjian Liu ◽  
Wei Shen ◽  
Liang Dai ◽  
...  

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