The world city network: Evaluating top-down versus bottom-up approaches
The world city network: Evaluating top-down versus bottom-up approaches
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DOI：
10.1016/j.cities.2017.09.006
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发表时间：
2018-02
期刊：
影响因子：
6.7
通讯作者：
Stefan Lüthi;A. Thierstein;M. Hoyler
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Stefan Lüthi;A. Thierstein;M. Hoyler
知识经济的增长催生了新的商业网络形式，将不同空间尺度的城市和城镇连接起来。已作出各种尝试，利用全球化和世界城市研究网络的连锁网络模型对这些网络进行实证分析。从空间角度可以区分两种方法：一种是全球“自上而下”的方法，它从最大的先进生产性服务公司的角度研究世界城市网络；另一种是宏观区域的“自下而上”方法，它从位于特定领土边界内的最重要的知识密集型公司开始。本文参照德国空间经济的案例研究，比较和批判性地评估了这两种方法的方法论意义和经验结果。这两种方法都追求相似的目标：调查城市的外部关系，包括跨国家和全国范围内的关系。在理论论证上存在差异：自上而下的方法植根于世界城市研究；自下而上的方法植根于区域科学和经济地理学的争论。在本文中，我们论证了对互联网络模型的不同方法所产生的对连通性模式的尺度敏感解释的必要性，并对未来世界城市网络研究的方法学方向提出了一些尝试性的建议。
The growth of the knowledge economy has led to new forms of business networks linking cities and towns across different spatial scales. Various attempts have been made to analyse these networks empirically using the interlocking network model of the Globalization and World Cities (GaWC) research network. Two approaches can be distinguished from a spatial perspective: a global ‘top-down’ approach that studies the world city network from the perspective of the largest advanced producer service firms, and a macro-regional ‘bottom-up’ approach that starts with the most important knowledge-intensive firms located within specific territorial boundaries. This paper compares and critically assesses the methodological implications and empirical outcomes of both approaches with reference to case studies of the German space economy. Both approaches pursue similar objectives: to investigate external relations of cities, both transnationally and on the national scale. Differences exist in the theoretical argumentation: the top-down approach is grounded in world city research; the bottom-up approach is anchored in debates in regional science and economic geography. In this paper, we argue for the need of scale-sensitive interpretations of connectivity patterns resulting from different approaches to the interlocking network model and conclude with some tentative recommendations for the methodological direction of future research in world city network studies.