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Differentiating Centrality and Power in the World City Network

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  • Zachary Neal

Abstract

Centrality and power have become common foci for world city network research and frequently serve as tools for describing cities’ position or status in the system. However, these concepts are difficult to define and measure. Often they are treated as equivalent: more central cities have more power. This paper challenges this assumed equivalence by proposing conceptually distinct definitions and developing two new measures that allow them to be differentiated empirically. Applying the proposed measures in a hypothetical world city network and the Internet backbone network reveals that centrality and power are distinct and suggests that world cities should be viewed as arising from multidimensional network positions that define multiple types: quintessential world cities that are both central and powerful (such as New York and London), hub world cities that are central but not powerful (such as Washington and Brussels) and gateway world cities that are powerful but not central (such as Miami and Stockholm).

Suggested Citation

  • Zachary Neal, 2011. "Differentiating Centrality and Power in the World City Network," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 48(13), pages 2733-2748, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:48:y:2011:i:13:p:2733-2748
    DOI: 10.1177/0042098010388954
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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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    Cited by:

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    3. Emmanouil Tranos & Karima Kourtit & Peter Nijkamp, 2014. "Digital urban network connectivity: Global and Chinese internet patterns," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 93(2), pages 409-428, June.
    4. Yun Liu & Yijie Cheng & Zhe Yan & Xuanting Ye, 2018. "Multilevel Analysis of International Scientific Collaboration Network in the Influenza Virus Vaccine Field: 2006–2013," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-19, April.
    5. Stefan Hennemann, 2012. "Evaluating the performance of geographical locations within scientific networks using an aggregation—randomization—re-sampling approach (ARR)," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 63(12), pages 2393-2404, December.
    6. Guan, Jiancheng & Zhang, Jingjing & Yan, Yan, 2015. "The impact of multilevel networks on innovation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(3), pages 545-559.
    7. Kao, Ta-Wei (Daniel) & Simpson, N.C. & Shao, Benjamin B.M. & Lin, Winston T., 2017. "Relating supply network structure to productive efficiency: A multi-stage empirical investigation," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 259(2), pages 469-485.
    8. Kunhui Ye & Guo Liu & Yongwei Shan, 2016. "Networked or Un-Networked? A Preliminary Study on KIBS-Based Sustainable Urban Development: The Case of China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(6), pages 1-13, May.
    9. Xingjian Liu & Ben Derudder & Frank Witlox & Michael Hoyler, 2014. "Cities As Networks within Networks of Cities: The Evolution of the City/Firm-Duality in the World City Network, 2000–2010," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 105(4), pages 465-482, September.
    10. Allan Watson & Jonathan V. Beaverstock, 2014. "World City Network Research at a Theoretical Impasse: On the Need to Re-Establish Qualitative Approaches to Understanding Agency in World City Networks," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 105(4), pages 412-426, September.

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