Source: adapted from Friedmann, J. (1966) Regional Development Policy: A Case Study of Venezuela, Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. The conventional core-periphery model of development tries to represent the emergence of a regional urban system in four major stages, which goes on par with the development of regional transport systems. From
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Delimitation and Variations in Market Areas
Market areas are an important component of regional spatial organization. The above figure considers a simple region composed of three equidistant cities along an axis (1, 2, and 3). In example A, it is assumed that the three cities are of the same size and economic composition, which means that
World’s 250 Largest Corporations by Head Office City
Source: Fortune Magazine and United Nations. The location of multinational head offices is indicative of their primacy in the global urban system. A head office is only one component of the activity scale of a multinational corporation and usually depicts little about its level of involvement across the world. The
World Cities, 2012
Source: AT Kearney, 2012 Global Cities Index and Emerging Cities Outlook. World Cities can be defined by their role in global economic, financial, cultural, transportation, and political affairs. They have achieved a first-name familiarity since a global city is recognized without using a political subdivision (e.g. London, UK, or Paris,
Types of Transportation Bottlenecks
Bottlenecks impose delays and restrictions in the normal flow of transportation. There are three major types of bottlenecks:
Global Gateways Index, 2018
Sources: Port TEU figures from port authorities and port associations. Air cargo figures from Airports Council International. The global gateways index is the weighted sum of the global share of container and air cargo traffic a metropolitan area generates. It considers a sample of 198 cities that are either having
Gateways and Hubs
Gateways and hubs are locations where flows converge and are the foremost expression of global connectivity. However, they differ in terms of the nature of their connectivity. While a hub is a central location in a transport system with many inbound and outbound connections of the same mode, a gateway commonly
Forces of Geographical Concentration and Dispersion
Two contradictory forces are playing in the dynamics of the poles (or clusters): Transportation is an important factor in this process as it concomitantly supports centrifugal and centripetal forces. Transportation could be a centripetal force favoring the convergence of activities in a cluster because of the accessibility this cluster can
Poles of the Global Economy
Three major poles, North America, Western Europe, and East Asia, dominate the global economy. Each of these poles has a non-exclusive sphere of influence, which is reflected in passengers and freight flows. For North America, this involves Latin American nations, closely linked to the American economy. Africa, Eastern Europe, and
Trade, Connectivity and Spatial Inequalities
A common economic development issue involves how a region can improve its participation in international trade, particularly if it is in a marginal and low connectivity situation. Under such circumstances, improvements in transport infrastructures (modal and intermodal) and the related increase in connectivity are perceived as strategies to foster trade