Digital urban network connectivity: Global and Chinese internet patterns1. (21st January 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tranos, Emmanouil; Kourtit, Karima; Nijkamp, Peter
• Is Part Of: Papers in regional science. Volume 93:Number 2(2014:Jun.)
• Page Start: 409
• Page End: 428
• Publication Date: 2014-01-21
• Subjects: Regional planning -- Periodicals; City planning -- Periodicals; Urbanization -- Periodicals; Economic geography -- Periodicals; 307.12
• DOI: 10.1111/pirs.12097
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1056-8190

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>Cities are not only connected through conventional infrastructure, but also through digital infrastructure. This paper tests whether digital connectivity patterns follow traditional ones. Using a generalized spatial interaction model, this paper shows that geography (and distance) still matters for an extensive set of world cities. With a view to the rapidly rising urbanization, the attention is next focused on the emerging large cities in China to test the relevance of distance frictions − next to a broad set of other important explanatory variables − for digital connectivity. Various interesting results are found regarding digital connectivity within the Chinese urban system, while also here geography appears to play an important role.</p> </abstract>