Tales of two cities: political capitals and economic centres in the world city network

The majority of major cities in the world city network are capital cities. Between primacy and political specialization there are examples of countries where the capital city and a second city remain as major rival cities in contemporary globalization. In this paper we focus upon situations where t...

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Main Authors: Ben Derudder, Peter J. Taylor
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Milano University Press 2014-11-01
Series:Glocalism: Journal of Culture, Politics and Innovation
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Online Access:https://ojs-unimi-test.4science.cloud/index.php/glocalism/article/view/21276
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author Ben Derudder
Peter J. Taylor
author_facet Ben Derudder
Peter J. Taylor
author_sort Ben Derudder
collection DOAJ
description The majority of major cities in the world city network are capital cities. Between primacy and political specialization there are examples of countries where the capital city and a second city remain as major rival cities in contemporary globalization. In this paper we focus upon situations where the capital city is less important in global economic capacity: Rome and Milan, Berlin and Frankfurt, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, Delhi and Mumbai, Islamabad and Karachi. This is an exercise in double comparisons: between cities in each pairing and between the pairings. Despite the massive differences – economic, cultural and political – amongst our chosen pairs of cities we have found communalities relating to the specific circumstance we are investigating. First, there is some evidence that economic centres are more global and less local than their capital cities. Second, more particularly, we have shown that in terms of global economic connections there is a very consistent pattern: economic centres have a much more coherent and telling integration into the world city network.
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spelling doaj-art-ab8a9f329fc8408191f1601bd82fb4512025-08-20T02:05:06ZengMilano University PressGlocalism: Journal of Culture, Politics and Innovation2283-79492014-11-013Tales of two cities: political capitals and economic centres in the world city networkBen Derudder 0Peter J. Taylor 1Ghent University Northumbria University The majority of major cities in the world city network are capital cities. Between primacy and political specialization there are examples of countries where the capital city and a second city remain as major rival cities in contemporary globalization. In this paper we focus upon situations where the capital city is less important in global economic capacity: Rome and Milan, Berlin and Frankfurt, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, Delhi and Mumbai, Islamabad and Karachi. This is an exercise in double comparisons: between cities in each pairing and between the pairings. Despite the massive differences – economic, cultural and political – amongst our chosen pairs of cities we have found communalities relating to the specific circumstance we are investigating. First, there is some evidence that economic centres are more global and less local than their capital cities. Second, more particularly, we have shown that in terms of global economic connections there is a very consistent pattern: economic centres have a much more coherent and telling integration into the world city network. https://ojs-unimi-test.4science.cloud/index.php/glocalism/article/view/21276city networkeconomic globalizationcapital citieseconomic centresglobal service centres
spellingShingle Ben Derudder
Peter J. Taylor
Tales of two cities: political capitals and economic centres in the world city network
Glocalism: Journal of Culture, Politics and Innovation
city network
economic globalization
capital cities
economic centres
global service centres
title Tales of two cities: political capitals and economic centres in the world city network
title_full Tales of two cities: political capitals and economic centres in the world city network
title_fullStr Tales of two cities: political capitals and economic centres in the world city network
title_full_unstemmed Tales of two cities: political capitals and economic centres in the world city network
title_short Tales of two cities: political capitals and economic centres in the world city network
title_sort tales of two cities political capitals and economic centres in the world city network
topic city network
economic globalization
capital cities
economic centres
global service centres
url https://ojs-unimi-test.4science.cloud/index.php/glocalism/article/view/21276
work_keys_str_mv AT benderudder talesoftwocitiespoliticalcapitalsandeconomiccentresintheworldcitynetwork
AT peterjtaylor talesoftwocitiespoliticalcapitalsandeconomiccentresintheworldcitynetwork