From Central Places to Network Bases: A Transition in the U.S. Urban Hierarchy, 1900–2000

Abstract

The notion of a hierarchy among cities has long been part of the theoretical tool kit of urban sociologists, geographers, and economists. Reviewing the evolution of the urban hierarchy concept, this paper empirically demonstrates a hypothesized transition in the U.S. urban hierarchy during the twentieth century, from size based to network based. Three urban types, following distinct trajectories during this shift, are explored: the primate city, the offline metropolis, and the wired town. Data on the economic structure, population size, and airline passenger traffic of 64 U.S. metropolitan areas from 1900 to 2000 are used to test the hypothesis of a hierarchical transition. Results suggest that a size–based hierarchy dominated in the early twentieth century but was replaced or augmented in the mid–1940s with a network–based hierarchy. The paper concludes with a discussion of the study's limitations and directions for future research.