Ronald Wall - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Ronald Wall

European Planning Studies, 2019

Many studies focus on the competitive characteristics of citiessuch as accessibility, infrastruct... more Many studies focus on the competitive characteristics of citiessuch as accessibility, infrastructure, knowledge, creativity, institutions, face-to-face-contacts, tacit knowledge, and business interactionand how these attract FDI, firms, and people. However, few studies focus on the spatial characteristics of urban clusters. In this study, knowledge-intensive FDI into 15 Northwestern European cities was explored. The FDI was geomapped at a district level, and the characteristics of these districts regarding proximity, functionality, urbanity and spatial quality were classified. The results revealed the spatial indicators that attract FDI in knowledge-intensive industrial activities.

Urban Studies, 2018

This article uses a network approach and a negative binomial regression model (NBRM) to shed ligh... more This article uses a network approach and a negative binomial regression model (NBRM) to shed light on the association between Domestic Investment (DI) and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in interlinking Chinese cities in a space of flows. The empirical analysis is based on 2743 FDI and 9315 DI projects covering 77 Chinese cities. We address the question of what the association is between DI network measures and city attractiveness for FDI, and if the geographic distance of DI matters. While the physical distance of DI activity is found to have a negative association with FDI, city functional proximity and structural position in the DI network are found to have a positive association. We conclude that strategic policies to stimulate cross-territorial economic ties between Chinese cities should be advantageous in attracting inward foreign investment.

Journal of Transport Geography, 2017

Historically, ports have been an important location factor for cities, enabling international tra... more Historically, ports have been an important location factor for cities, enabling international trade and investment and facilitating urbanization processes. However, the traditionally strong relationship between ports and port cities has gradually weakened due to the emerging negative externalities of ports. Therefore, port-city municipalities need to better understand the relationship between port activities, urban competitiveness, and the attraction of investment. This paper uses the Quadratic Assignment Procedure (QAP) and related regression models to test this relationship as well as identify the determinants of urban competitiveness. The results show that despite the positive relationship between port and urban networks, port cities currently exhibit no significant advantages over non-port cities in attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI); in addition, port-city competitiveness depends more on urban characteristics than on port factors. Based on these results, we propose various strategies for portcity developments.

Comparative studies of urbanisation can be characterized by their emphasis on the quantitative an... more Comparative studies of urbanisation can be characterized by their emphasis on the quantitative and visual aspects of urban growth, which is amongst other things reflected in the analysis of spatial patterns and rates of urban population growth. The visual aspects relate both to the spatial realisation of the demand for urban land use and its functional variation. This emphasis can

The conception of the city as a 'node' and a 'place' is deeply rooted in human development. The a... more The conception of the city as a 'node' and a 'place' is deeply rooted in human development. The ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic for the city consists of a cross (the external networks) inside a circle (the place), already synthesizing the dual 'global' and 'local' roles of the city (Camagni, 1993). Today, theories by authors such as Friedmann, Sassen and more recently the GaWC research group, continue this age old understanding, remodelling it to suite the increasing complexity of our contemporary world. A system in which the interdependencies between economic and city development are becoming greater each day. Within this endeavour we aim to contribute to a further understanding of the interdependencies between firms and cities (nodes and linkages) at different spatial scales. These relationships and hierarchies are theoretically and empirically explored, structured into two main parts: (1) Theoretical Developments of the World City Network; and (2) Transitions of the European City Network. The first part is explored using a simple template, which approximately organises the work into time, scale, spatial dimensions and societal functions. In the first part we explore evolutionary moments, in the development of our current 'city network' paradigm. In the second part we specifically focus on contemporary concepts in modern Europe, followed by an empirical analysis that reveals the functional and spatial relationships between European cities and firms within our global 'netscape'.

Public Administration and Information Technology, 2015

A substantiated definition of smart cities is urgently required. In this chapter we explore the c... more A substantiated definition of smart cities is urgently required. In this chapter we explore the crossover between Smart City and World City Network literature. We argue that this crossover can contribute to the theoretical and empirical development of smart city literature. We hypothesize that if a city gets smarter than its peers, then it will eventually also hold a stronger position within the global economy. Therefore, we argue that the regional and transnational positioning of cities is conditional to being smart, and where the building of dense and diverse economic network relations becomes essential. To test these assumptions, we carry out geographic and statistical analysis, using on the one hand foreign direct investment (FDI) data between smart cities and other cities of the world; and on the other hand, already available smart city indicators. In this way we try to uncover the network and urban characteristics of smart cities and make recommendations how to improve their competitive position within the world economy.

Metropolitan Regions, 2012

In the modern economy, cities are assumed to be in fierce competition. In contrast with this, reg... more In the modern economy, cities are assumed to be in fierce competition. In contrast with this, regional and national Dutch policymakers advocate the Randstad region as a single urban region in which economic complementarities are supposed to be numerous. Using insights from urban systems theory and urban ecology, we introduce an indicator to estimate the degree of revealed competition between cities based on patterns of inter-firm relations between these cities. Results indicate that urban competition is more the rule than the much-anticipated urban complementarities, as urban functional influences of the Randstad cities spatially overlap.

Spaces of International Economy and Management

Global city networks Today, academics and policymakers generally concentrate on subnational regio... more Global city networks Today, academics and policymakers generally concentrate on subnational regions as the essential unit of economic activity, and most studies fail to adequately conceptualize urban regional development in an era of globalization (Dicken and Malmberg 2001). It is arguable, however, that global production networks and regional assets need to be coupled, mediating activities across different geographical and organizational scales (Coe et al. 2004; Dicken et al. 2001). This concept is not entirely new. Friedmann and Wolff (1982) conceptualized global cities as "command centers", regulating the "international division of labor", and Gereffi et al. (1994) defined global commodity chains as interorganizational networks of products that increasingly tie enterprises and states together within the world economy. These initial approaches have led to various studies on cities and globalization (e.g.

Tijdschrift voor economische en sociale geografie, 2009

Today, the importance of the Randstad agglomeration is often discussed in terms of the economic c... more Today, the importance of the Randstad agglomeration is often discussed in terms of the economic coherence between its four largest cities. This is remarkable when several leading authors argue that the economic importance of cities is strongly determined by economic networks between cities worldwide. This discrepancy stems from the fact that limited empirical research exists on corporate networks. Furthermore, the relative importance of cities within various studies is based on different functional types and spatial scales of data, making the results incomparable. Therefore, in this paper, the relative importance of the four largest Randstad cities is explored within three independent, comparative networks (top 100 global firms, top 100 European firms, and top 100 Dutch firms). Employing network analysis techniques, this paper evaluates the local, supra-regional and global importance of the four Randstad cities within the three independent networks. The results show that the relative importance and network structures of these four cities are highly dependent on the economic size and locality of the initial headquarters and that Amsterdam proves to be the most important Randstad city in all three scales of corporate networks.

Journal of Regional Science, 2013

Journal of Economic Geography, 2012

In the modern economy, cities are assumed to be in fierce competition over attracting foreign inv... more In the modern economy, cities are assumed to be in fierce competition over attracting foreign investments in leading sectors of the world economy. Despite the rich theoretical discourse on these 'wars', it remains unclear which territories are competing with each other over which types of investments Combining insights from international economics, international business, and urban systems literature, we develop an indicator to measure revealed competition between territories for investments based on the overlap of investment portfolios of regions. Taking competition for greenfield investments between European regions as a test subject, we identify competitive market segments, derive the competitive threat a region faces from other regions, the competitive threat regions pose to other regions, and the most important market segments in which regions compete. We show that European regions with similar locational endowments pose a fiercer competitive threat to one another. In addition, regions that are sufficiently large and distinctive, face the smallest average competitive threat from all other regions.

European Planning Studies, 2013

ABSTRACT Empirical studies on polycentric urban regions (PURs) tend to analyse their spatial orga... more ABSTRACT Empirical studies on polycentric urban regions (PURs) tend to analyse their spatial organization by examining only one type of functional linkage between cities. However, it has generally been accepted that urban networks are multiplex phenomena and that spatial interactions between cities can take many different forms, for example, commuting, shopping trips, and inter-firm trade. The spatial organization of each of these functional linkages is not necessarily identical, and, therefore, a region can appear to be polycentric and spatially integrated based on the analysis of one type of functional linkage but monocentric and loosely connected based on the analysis of another type of functional linkage. The aim of this paper is to stimulate further discussion on the multiplexity of urban networks with regard to the relational complexity of urban regions. Focusing on one PUR (Randstad Holland), we compare the geographical scope and spatial structure of different functional networks within it. Our results indicate that the spatial organization of the urban network depends on the lens through which it is assessed.

Economic Geography, 2011

Nonetheless, even in these studies, conceptual differences are evident (Derudder 2006), as is cle... more Nonetheless, even in these studies, conceptual differences are evident (Derudder 2006), as is clearly exemplified in the critical debate between P. J. Taylor (2006) and Alderson and Beckfield (2006). The first concerns differences in the economic sectors of primary focus. Alderson and Beckfield (2004), taking the lead from Hymer (1972), argued that the key relationship linking cities into a world system is the multinational enterprise, regardless of which industrial sector is observed. Alternatively, P. J. Taylor (2004), taking Sassen's lead (1991), focused on the advanced producer service sector, which is justified as representing cutting-edge global economic activity because producer service firms have become multinationals in their own right, creating an essential "interlocking" (Knoke and Kuklinski 1982; P. J. Taylor 2001) global network of offices. However, according to Alderson and Beckfield (2006, 902), "this is an important empirical question that should not be foreclosed" because although producer services may lead the way in integrating cities into a global network, it is likely that other industrial sectors also create important connections among cities. Therefore, Alderson and Beckfield recommended that future research should compare multinational and producer service networks using a single data set-a recommendation that we follow in this article. The second important issue in this debate revolves around methodological differences and how they lead to hierarchical dissimilarities of the networks. As Alderson and Beckfield acknowledged, a key advantage of P. J. Taylor's (GaWC) method is its sensitivity to the relative importance of firms within cities. Alderson and Beckfield addressed this issue by pointing out that future research should more sensitively measure hierarchical differences within corporate organizations-another recommendation that we heeded. On the basis of these recommendations, we pose the following central research question: what will the nodal centralities and linkage structures of cities be when different levels of corporate ownership are considered in terms of (1) ownership linkages generated by all industrial sectors, (2) ownership linkages derived from producer services, and (3) the degree of overlap between the all-industries and producer service networks? In our study, we empirically explored the three major dimensions of corporate networks: firms, sectors, and territories (Dicken and Malmberg 2001). Furthermore, we paid special attention to three properties because the network characteristics of hierarchy and heterarchy are fundamental to corporate organizations (e.g.

Environment and Planning A, 2011

The gradual integration of nations within our globalizing world is strongly related to the econom... more The gradual integration of nations within our globalizing world is strongly related to the economic networks formed by multinational headquarters and their various subsidiaries located across the globe. Although the corporate reach of multinational corporations (MNCs) is clearly global, the geographical scope of their activities remains limited. Focusing on the network of ownership relations between the global Fortune 100 MNC headquarters and their subsidiaries, it is shown that global corporate activity remains unevenly distributed across the globe. Besides showing that richer countries are better connected within the global system than the poorer countries, the authors also reveal considerable differences in connectivity within the group of rich countries. Based on various determinants, these variations in network connectivity are explained.