Urbanization and World City
Formation in China
Shanghai’s Shifting Position in National
and Global Networks of Cities
Michael Timberlake & Xiulian Ma
University of Utah
Objectives of Research Program
Contribute to research identifying China’s
leading cities
Document changes in Chinese cities’
relative importance in national and global
city systems.
Address broader theoretical issues in
political economy of globalization
Key Assumptions of Research
Cities grow and decline in the context of economic
regions.
Such regions are nested, interlocking, and
hierarchical.
As basing points in economic regions, cities serve
to integrate these regions internally through their
interrelations.
The leading cities in a region may serve as bridges
across regions and hierarchical levels.
Key focus of presentation
China’s national system of cities
Chinese cities’ positions in the world
system’s city system.
Identifying China’s ―World Cities‖
Increasing size of the urban population
1000000
800000
Mean Urban Population
600000
400000
200000
0
2000
2005
2010
2015
2020
2025
2030
1950
1955
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
Year
Increasing level of urbanization
2030
2025
2020
2015
2010
2005
2000
1995
Year
1990
1985
1980
1975
1970
1965
1960
1955
1950
0.0
80.0
60.0
20.0
40.0
Mean % Urban
Underlying theme: China’s increasing participation
in the global economy
China ahead in foreign direct
investment
Published: August 2003
--OECD Observer
Andconcomitant explosive economic
growth
Have resulted in
– Increasingly integrated national system of cities
– Increasing centrality of key Chinese cities in
the world system’s city system
Globalization and Cities: Theoretical
Background
Globalization
the ―facts‖ the ―dominant
– many global processes narrative‖
are ―place bound‖ – decentralization
natural resource extraction regime
manufacturing regime
Tire ―building‖ in Akron
P-15 & D-24 HOOD ORNAMENT ASSEMBLY Detroit
finance regime
World Cities
nodes in the international system
―World Cities‖
Major cities found throughout the world
that ―articulate‖ one major economic region
with another major economic region,
usually transnationally.
As in previous GaWC diagram, some world
cities are more globally ―central‖ than
others.
Global Cities:
Atop the World City Hierarchy
key nodes in the international system
sites for crucial ―producer‖ services
sites for telecommunications centers
sites for financial control
sites for transnational markets
Global Control Centers
Global Control Centers:
The Key Global Cities
New York
London
Tokyo
World System of Cities
The hierarchy extends through the world
system, from the top global cities through
the whole system.
The Global Sy s tem: A W eb of Place-B ound Trans actions
Locale 2
Locale 1 Locale 3 Locale 4
City 1 City 2 City 3
Locale 5 Locale 6 Locale 7 Locale 8
Conceptualizing the Global Inter-
City Transactions
Relative centrality in networks of
overlapping intraorganizational control
capacity across cities (e.g., from
headquarters to branch offices)—Peter
Taylor and associates.
centrality in flow networks of
Relative
commodities, people, and information.
Cities and International
Transactions: Functions
economic flows
Holiday Velour
from L.L. Bean
Select an
item:
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Petite
$79.00
Regular
$79.00
Cities and International
Transactions: Functions
political transactions
Cities and International
Transactions: Functions
cultural flows
Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood rocks out to "It's Only Rock and
Roll" with tour bassist Darryl Jones, Saturday night at Ford Field
Cities and International
Transactions: Functions
social (social reproduction) transactions
Cities and International
Transactions: Functions
economic flows
political transactions
cultural flows
social (social reproduction) transactions
cities and international
transactions: content
human transactions
material transactions
symbolic transactions
human material information
economic
political
cultural
social
reproduction
economic flows
commodities and capital
orders and directives within and between
firms
businessmen/women
labor migration
political flows
arms shipments
ambassadors
invasions
international treaties
cultural flows
designer clothes
popular music
scientific exchange
theater/dance troupes
literature
popular cinema
social reproduction
CARE packages and other humanitarian aid
family migration
―remittances‖
personal mail, telephone calls, e-mail
Cities are hierarchically linked in
such networks of globally-
structured flows
Network Analysis and
Network Data
Strict data requirements
– input/output for every pair within an alleged
network
Air passenger travel
Findings
National City System
Top Cities’Positions on Four Network
Measures (Outflow, Betweenness,
Closeness, and Outdegree), four time points
(1992, 1995, 2000, and 2003).
Outflow
12000000
10000000
8000000
Beijing
6000000 Guangzhou
Shanghai
4000000
2000000
0
1992 1995 2000 2003
Betweenness
12
10
8
Beijing
6 Guangzhou
Shanghai
4
2
0
1992 1995 2000 2003
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Be
ijin
G g
ua
ng
zh
ou
Xi
an
Sh
an
gh
Ch ai
an
gc
hu
Sh n
en
ya
ng
La
nz
ho
Sh u
en
zh
en
1992 Betweenness
W
uh
an
Ch
en
gd
u
Series1
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Be
ijin
G g
ua
ng
zh
ou
Sh
an
gh
ai
Ch
en
gd
u
Xi
an
W
uh
an
Ch
on
gq
in
g
1995 Betweenness
Sh
en
zh
en
Da
l ia
n
Sh
en
y an
g
G
ua
0.5
1.5
2.5
3.5
4.5
0
1
2
3
4
ng
zh
ou
Sh
an
gh
ai
Be
ijin
g
Xi
an
Ch
en
gd
Ch u
on
gq
in
Sh g
en
ya
2000 Betweenness
ng
W
uh
an
Zh
en
gz
ho
Sh u
en
zh
en
Sh
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
an
g ha
G i
ua
ng
zh
ou
Be
ijin
g
Jin
an
Ch
en
gd
u
Xi
an
Ch
on
gq
in
2003 Betweenness
g
Ku
nm
in
g
Q
in
gd
ao
Sh
en
zh
en
Closeness
102
100
98
96
94 Beijing
92
Guangzhou
90
88 Shanghai
86
84
82
80
1992 1995 2000 2003
OutDegree
43
42
41
40
39 Beijing
38 Guangzhou
37 Shanghai
36
35
34
33
1992 1995 2000 2003
Table 8. Blocks of Chinese cities, and network positions in 1992 and 2003
1992 2003 1992 2003
Block
1 Beijing, Shanghai, Beijing, Shanghai, Core Core
Guangzhou (3)a Guangzhou, Shenzhen (4)
2 Haikou, Guilin, Hong Chengdu, Haikou, Hong SPb 1 SP 1
Kong, Shantou, Xian (5) Kong (3)
3 Chengdu, Chongqing, Chongqing, Dalian, SP 2 SP 2
Dalian, Fuzhou, Hangzhou, Harbin,
Hangzhou, Harbin, Kunming, Nanjing,
Kunming, Nanjing, Qingdao, Shenyang, Wuhan,
Shenyang, Shenzhen, Xiamen, Xian (11)
Urmqi, Wuhan, Xiamen
(13)
a The number in the parenthesis indicates how many cities the block includes.
b ―SP‖ = Semi-periphery, ―P‖ = periphery, ―D‖ =―Disconnected
1992 2003 1992 2003
Block
4 Changsha, Guiyang, Hefei, Changsha, Urumq, P SP3
Lanzhou, Nanning, Changchun, Fuzhou,
Qingdao, Taiyuan, Wenzhou, Taijing, Jinan,
Tianjing, Wenzhou, , Guilin, Guiyang, Zhengzhou
Zhengzhou (10) (10)
5 Hothot, Jinan, Nanchang, Hefei, Shantou, Ningbo, P P
Ningbo, Yantai (5) Nanchang, Nanning,
Taiyuan, Yantai (7)
6 Qiqihar, Xining, Yinchuan Lanzhou, Xining (2) D D
(3);
7 Baotou, Changchun, Baotou, Yinchuan (2) D D
Lasha, Shijiazhuang (4)
8 Hothot, Lasha, Qiqihar, D
Shijiazhuang (4)
Findings
China’s Cities in the World City Hierarchy
Global Outflow
250
200
Beijing
150
Guangzhou
Shanghai
100
Hong Kong
50
0
1990 1995 2000 2005
Global Outdegree
250
200
Beijing
150
Guangzhou
Shanghai
100
Hong Kong
50
0
1990 1995 2000 2005
Global Betweenness
250
200
Beijing
150
Guangzhou
Shanghai
100
Hong Kong
50
0
1990 1995 2000 2005
Global Outclosenness
300
250
200 Beijing
Guangzhou
150
Shanghai
100 Hong Kong
50
0
1990 1995 2000 2005
Table 9. Network Blocks and Positions in the World City System in 1990
Blocks Cities Position
1…Seoul/Bangkok Bangkok, Dublin, Hong Kong, Honolulu, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, London, New York, Core
(13) Paris, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei, Tokyo
2…Amsterdam (51) Amsterdam, Athens, Atlanta, Auckland, Banjul, Barcelona, Boston, Brussels, Cairo, SP 1
Chicago, Copenhagen, Cork, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Fukuoka, Geneva,
Guadalajara, Guam Island, Hamburg, Jeddah, Lisbon, Los Angeles, Madrid,
Malaga, Malta, Manila, Mexico City, Miami, Milan, Montreal, Munich, Nagoya,
Nice, Osaka, Oslo, Penang, Puerto Plata, Pusan, Rome, Saipan, San Francisco,
Santo Domingo, Seattle, Shannon, Stockholm, Sydney, Toronto, Vancouver,
Vienna, Washington DC, Zurich
3…Berlin West (7) Berlin West, Bombay, Dallas, Dubai, Houston TX, Montevideo, ―San Juan, PR‖ SP 2
4…Birmingham (42) Birmingham, Bogota, Brisbane, Budapest, Buenos Aires, Calgary, Cancun, Caracas, SP 3
Casablanca, Christchurch, Cologne, Delhi, Detroit, Dhahran, Guatemala City,
Istanbul, Karachi, Kingston, Larnaca, Lima, Manchester, Marseilles, Melbourne,
Montego Bay, Monterrey, Moscow, Nandi, Panama/Balboa, Perth, Prague, Puerto
Vallarta, Rio De Janeiro, Riyadh, San Jose, Santiago, San Paulo, Stuttgart, Tampa
FL, Teheran, Tel Aviv, Tunis, Warsaw
5…Abidjan (5) Abidjan, Colombo, Harare, Lagos, Nairobi SP 4
6…Darwin (4) Darwin, Conakry, Niamey, Oujda SP 5
7…Addis Ababa (5) Addis Ababa, Alexandria, Manaus, Santiago COMP., Stansted SP 6
Table 9. Network Blocks and Positions in the World City System in 1990
9…Beijing Aruba, Basel, Beijing, Bilbao, Bordeaux, Dakar, Faro, P
(25) Gothenburg, Hanover, Ho Chi Minh CY, Lyon,
Madras, Mazatlan, Medan, Okinawa, Oporto, Palma
Mallorca, Philadelphia, Pisa, Port Au Prince,
Rotterdam, San Jose CABO, Toulouse, Turin, Venice.
15…Shanghai Acapulco, Adelaide , Ankara, Antwerp, Bahrain ISLD, P
(27) Bergen, Bologna, Bremen, Calcutta, Cali, Edinburgh,
Edmonton, Glasgow, Graz, Havana, Kano, Linz,
Marrakech, ―Papeete, Tahitt‖, Paramaribo, Rabat,
Reykjavik, Salonika, Salzburg, Shanghai, Tenerife,
Valencia
Table 10. Network Blocks and Positions in the World City System in 2005
1…Seoul/Bangkok (13) Amsterdam, Bangkok, Dubai, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Core
London, Madrid, New York, Paris, Seoul, Singapore,
Taipei, Tokyo
2…Beijing/Shanghai Athens, Barcelona, Beijing, Boston, Buenos Aires, SP 1
(29) Chicago, Copenhagen, Guam Island, Honolulu, Jakarta,
Johannesburg, Kuala Lumpur, Lisbon, Los Angeles,
Malaga, Manila, Mexico City, Munich, Osaka, Oslo,
Prague, San Francisco, Santiago, San Paulo, Shanghai,
Stockholm, Sydney, Toronto, Washington DC,
Table 10. Network Blocks and Positions in the World City System in 2005
5…Guangzhou/ Birmingham, Bucharest, Budapest, Busan, Cairns, Cairo, SP 4
Shengyang(27) Cancun, Dallas/ Fort Worth, Delhi, Detroit, Edinburgh,
Glasgow, Guangzhou, Hamburg, Helsinki, Hanover, Ho
Chi Minh CY, Kuwait, Lyon, Mauritius, Montevideo,
Penang, Philadelphia, Rio De Janeiro, Saipan, Shengyang,
Stuttgart, Vienna
6…Baku (5) Baku, Kyiv, Monterrey, Port-Au-Prince, Yerevan SP 5
7…Calgary (11) Calgary, Dhaka, Guatemala City, Guayaquil, Male, Managua, SP 6
Medellin, Panama City, Quito, San Salvador, Tashkent
8…Dalian (18) Bahrain, Bilbao, Bristol, Christchurch, Cincinnati, Dalian, P
Denver, Gothenburg, Hanoi, Jeddah, Krakow, Leeds,
Puerto Vallarta, Sevilla, Turin, Valencia, Yangon
9…Hangzhou/Kun Antananarivo, Bangalore, Beirut, ―Charlotte, NC‖, Cochin, P
ming/ Hangzhou, Hanover, Hyderabad, Islamabad, Kolkata,
Xiamen/Yantai Kunming, Lahore, Nairobi, Naples, Newcastle, Ottawa,
(27) Phuket, Riga, Sapporo, Seattle, Sofia, Tallinn, Vilnius,
Xiamen, Yantai, Zagreb, Zurich
Summary Findings
Consolidation and integration of Chinese
national city system over past 15 years.
Remarkable rise of Shanghai within this
national city system.
Increasing integration of Chinese city
regions in global economy.
Emergence of Shanghai as China’s World
City
Summary Findings
Remarkable
Rise of
Shanghai
within the
National City
System
Increasing integration of Chinese city regions in global economy
Emergence of Shanghai as China’s World City
Theoretical Discussion
Importance of national city system to world city
formation vs. declining significance of the state.
– Increasing national city system articulation
accompanies world city formation.
Beijing as world city (as well as Shanghai)—
again, importance of role of the state.
Bejing’s role in Shanghai’s rise as world city.
– State-centered urban ―development coalition‖?
Future research
Social polarization and world city
formation?
Changing role of the state with respect to
social programs.
Labor markets and rural-urban migration.
Sustainability.
Social polarization and world city formation?
Changing role of the state with respect to social programs
Labor markets and rural-urban migration
Sustainability.
The environment