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Conceptualising and Mapping the Structure of the World System's City System

Author

Listed:
  • David A. Smith

    (University of California, Irvine, CA92717, USA)

  • Michael Timberlake

    (Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work, Kansas State University, 204 Waters Hall, Manhattan, Kansas 66506-4003, USA)

Abstract

For the past 20 years, researches using the lens of world system theory (and other global political economy perspectives) have come to a better understanding of many of the anomalies in urbanisation patterns across more and less developed countries that had befuddled researchers whose assumptions left out global sources of social change. Recently this line of research has moved beyond regarding cities as mere objects of global forces, also theorising about their importance as lynchpins in the spatial organisation of the world economy. In this paper we review some of the scholarship that emphasises large cities' roles as important modes of production, consumption, exchange and control at the global level; we develop the argument that systematic tinkages—economic, cultural, political or social-retational—among global cities are likely to reveal the spatial organisation of the world-system; we review our position that formal network analysis provides a most promising methodological framework for analysing and mapping global intercity linkages; and we present a map of the current world city system based on our network analysis of recent air travel among many of the world's great cities. We point out that our analysis is very preliminary and provides only a rough chart of the world city system at one point in time, and the data requirements for more detailed world city system maps for several periods of time are imposing, to say the least. Nevertheless, such a project holds the promise of revealing much about the spatial structure of our world system, how it has changed; how it is likely to change in the future; and how cities' populations are affected by these changes. Completing the project will probably require collaboration among researchers in different countries.

Suggested Citation

  • David A. Smith & Michael Timberlake, 1995. "Conceptualising and Mapping the Structure of the World System's City System," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 32(2), pages 287-302, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:32:y:1995:i:2:p:287-302
    DOI: 10.1080/00420989550013086
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. John Friedmann, 1986. "The World City Hypothesis," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 17(1), pages 69-83, January.
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    1. Matsumoto, Hidenobu & Domae, Koji, 2018. "The effects of new international airports and air-freight integrator's hubs on the mobility of cities in urban hierarchies: A case study in East and Southeast Asia," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 160-166.
    2. Fernandes, Vicente Aprigliano & Pacheco, Ricardo Rodrigues & Fernandes, Elton & da Silva, William Ribeiro, 2019. "Regional change in the hierarchy of Brazilian airports 2007–2016," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 1-1.
    3. Joan Trullén & Rafael Boix & Vittorio Galletto, 2013. "An insight on the unit of analysis in urban research," Chapters, in: Peter Karl Kresl & Jaime Sobrino (ed.), Handbook of Research Methods and Applications in Urban Economies, chapter 10, pages 235-266, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    4. Budd, Lucy & Graham, Brian, 2009. "Unintended trajectories: liberalization and the geographies of private business flight," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 17(4), pages 285-292.
    5. Ben Derudder & Christof Parnreiter, 2014. "Introduction: The Interlocking Network Model for Studying Urban Networks: Outline, Potential, Critiques, and Ways Forward," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 105(4), pages 373-386, September.
    6. Tony H. Grubesic & Timothy C. Matisziw, 2011. "World Cities and Airline Networks," Chapters, in: Ben Derudder & Michael Hoyler & Peter J. Taylor & Frank Witlox (ed.), International Handbook of Globalization and World Cities, chapter 10, Edward Elgar Publishing.

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