Well connected compared to what? Rethinking frames of reference in world city network research

2016 ◽  
Vol 49 (12) ◽  
pp. 2859-2877 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary P Neal
Keyword(s):  
Degree Sequence ◽  
World City ◽  
City Formation ◽  
World City Network ◽  
The World ◽  
Global Connections ◽  
City Network ◽  
Entire World ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Insight Into

Claims about the strength of cities’ global connections have become commonplace in the world cities literature. Although such claims are inherently comparative, authors often do not specify the reference. London is well connected compared to what? In this paper, I adapt the stochastic degree sequence model from network analysis as a tool to derive a frame of reference that can be used to inform and substantiate such claims. Beyond providing a formal statistical method for deciding when the claim that “X is well connected” is justified, it also addresses a number of other challenges in this literature, including more explicitly casting firms as key agents in world city formation, providing insight into when and where global firms might be expected to locate their branch offices, and helping identify cases that warrant more detailed investigation. To illustrate, I apply the method to data on cities and firms from 2013, examining the results at five different scales, from the individual city and firm to the entire world city network. I conclude by considering how this approach allows researchers to ask different kinds of questions about the nature of world city status.

scholarly journals German Cities in the World City Network

2011 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 213-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan V. Beaverstock
Keyword(s):  
Critical Appraisal ◽  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
World City ◽  
World City Network ◽  
The World ◽  
City Network ◽  
Alternative Research ◽  
World City Networks ◽  
The Individual ◽  
German Cities

Abstract This paper provides a brief critical appraisal of the relationality of German cities in the world city network. The paper is divided into four parts. After the introduction, part two highlights the major findings of each individual contribution to this special issue, and teases out the major patterns of German world city connectivity at both the international and domestic scale. This is followed in part three by a critical evaluation of the sum of all the individual paper findings, which comments on their aggregated contribution to three significant themes in world city studies: methods and empirics, theory and policy. The final part of the paper considers an alternative research agenda, calling for more qualitative research and engagement with in-depth, process-based studies of German world city networks, which will analyse both attributive and relational data.

PATTERN RECOGNITION IN LARGE GEOGRAPHICAL DATABASES: TOWARDS A DETAILED ASSESSMENT OF THE WORLD CITY NETWORK

2007 ◽  
Vol 21 (03) ◽  
pp. 439-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
BEN DERUDDER ◽  
FRANK WITLOX ◽  
PETER J. TAYLOR ◽  
GILDA CATALANO
Keyword(s):  
Pattern Recognition ◽  
Central American ◽  
World City ◽  
Urban Network ◽  
City Formation ◽  
World City Network ◽  
The World ◽  
Detailed Assessment ◽  
City Network ◽  
Sub Saharan

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.

scholarly journals The world city network: Evaluating top-down versus bottom-up approaches

Cities ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 72 ◽  
pp. 287-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Lüthi ◽  
Alain Thierstein ◽  
Michael Hoyler
Keyword(s):  
World City ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
World City Network ◽  
The World ◽  
City Network

On the global city map, but not in command? Probing Manila’s position in the world city network

2016 ◽  
Vol 49 (12) ◽  
pp. 2897-2915 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana Kleibert
Keyword(s):  
Global City ◽  
World City ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Producer Service ◽  
World City Network ◽  
The World ◽  
City Network ◽  
Advanced Producer Service ◽  
And Control ◽  
City Rankings

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.

Measuring Centrality and Power Recursively in the World City Network: A Reply to Neal

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

Changing Connectivities of Chinese Cities in the World City Network, 2010–2016

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Derudder ◽  
Zhan Cao ◽  
Xingjian Liu ◽  
Wei Shen ◽  
Liang Dai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
World City ◽  
Chinese Cities ◽  
World City Network ◽  
The World ◽  
City Network
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