The evolution of the commuting network in Germany: Spatial and connectivity patterns

The analysis of the structure and evolution of complex networks has recently received considerable attention. Although research on networks originated in mathematical studies dating back to the nineteenth century (or earlier), and developed further in the mid-twentieth century with contributions to...

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Main Authors: Roberto Patuelli, Aura Reggiani, Peter Nijkamp, Franz-Josef Bade
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing 2010-01-01
Series:Journal of Transport and Land Use
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.jtlu.org/index.php/jtlu/article/view/23
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author Roberto Patuelli
Aura Reggiani
Peter Nijkamp
Franz-Josef Bade
author_facet Roberto Patuelli
Aura Reggiani
Peter Nijkamp
Franz-Josef Bade
author_sort Roberto Patuelli
collection DOAJ
description The analysis of the structure and evolution of complex networks has recently received considerable attention. Although research on networks originated in mathematical studies dating back to the nineteenth century (or earlier), and developed further in the mid-twentieth century with contributions to graph theory, interest in its application to the social sciences is currently growing---particularly in regional science and transportation, because of the spatial relevance of networks. This paper presents a dynamic outlook for the German commuting network from the perspective of the German labor market districts. The focus of this paper is to explore how the German commuting network evolves, from two perspectives: space and connectivity. We consider home-to-work commuters moving between 439 German districts for the years 1995 and 2005. The results of the present analysis make it possible to identify, among the main German districts, the most “open” and connected ones. These emerging districts can be considered as potential “hubs” in the German commuting system---that is, as attractors from the perspective of spatial economics, and as interconnectors from the perspective of networking.
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spelling doaj-art-252c6faa13cf4ebb995b871bbfab4cb22025-08-20T01:51:23ZengUniversity of Minnesota Libraries PublishingJournal of Transport and Land Use1938-78492010-01-012310.5198/jtlu.v2i3.2359The evolution of the commuting network in Germany: Spatial and connectivity patternsRoberto Patuelli0Aura Reggiani1Peter Nijkamp2Franz-Josef Bade3University of Lugano and The Rimini Centre for Economic Analysis, SwitzerlandUniversity of BolognaVU University AmsterdamUniversity of DortmundThe analysis of the structure and evolution of complex networks has recently received considerable attention. Although research on networks originated in mathematical studies dating back to the nineteenth century (or earlier), and developed further in the mid-twentieth century with contributions to graph theory, interest in its application to the social sciences is currently growing---particularly in regional science and transportation, because of the spatial relevance of networks. This paper presents a dynamic outlook for the German commuting network from the perspective of the German labor market districts. The focus of this paper is to explore how the German commuting network evolves, from two perspectives: space and connectivity. We consider home-to-work commuters moving between 439 German districts for the years 1995 and 2005. The results of the present analysis make it possible to identify, among the main German districts, the most “open” and connected ones. These emerging districts can be considered as potential “hubs” in the German commuting system---that is, as attractors from the perspective of spatial economics, and as interconnectors from the perspective of networking.https://www.jtlu.org/index.php/jtlu/article/view/23complex networkscommutingevolutiondynamicsGerman districts
spellingShingle Roberto Patuelli
Aura Reggiani
Peter Nijkamp
Franz-Josef Bade
The evolution of the commuting network in Germany: Spatial and connectivity patterns
Journal of Transport and Land Use
complex networks
commuting
evolution
dynamics
German districts
title The evolution of the commuting network in Germany: Spatial and connectivity patterns
title_full The evolution of the commuting network in Germany: Spatial and connectivity patterns
title_fullStr The evolution of the commuting network in Germany: Spatial and connectivity patterns
title_full_unstemmed The evolution of the commuting network in Germany: Spatial and connectivity patterns
title_short The evolution of the commuting network in Germany: Spatial and connectivity patterns
title_sort evolution of the commuting network in germany spatial and connectivity patterns
topic complex networks
commuting
evolution
dynamics
German districts
url https://www.jtlu.org/index.php/jtlu/article/view/23
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