Abstract
This introduction to the special issue “German cities in the world city network” provides an overview of the current status of research on urban systems in the knowledge economy, with a particular focus on the German urban system. The first part identifies the knowledge economy, particularly the requirements for geographical and relational proximity along the value chain, as a key driver of contemporary urban development. The second part clarifies the concept of polycentricity, distinguishing between its political and analytical roots, while considering its application on different spatial scales. Based on this discussion, the third part emphasizes the importance of relational thinking in analyzing polycentric urban systems and functional urban hierarchies. This is followed by an outline of the specific contribution of each paper to our understanding of the relational geographies of the German urban space-economy.
Highlights
German cities in the world city networkAlain Thierstein*, Stefan Lüthi*, Michael Hoyler** AbstractThis introduction to the special issue “German cities in the world city network” provides an overview of the current status of research on urban systems in the knowledge economy, with a particular focus on the German urban system
This is followed by an outline of the specific contribution of each paper to our understanding of the relational geographies of the German urban space-economy
Spatial development policies in the European Union but especially in Germany have been reformulated in recent years to respond to the emerging phenomenon of polycentric metropolitan or ‘mega-city’ regions
Summary
Globalization has entailed a reorganization of spatial development processes on global, European, national and regional scales. The result is a multi-faceted city network of global reach that has a significant impact upon – and is in turn shaped by – the world economy, but is not entirely free from state-based direction. Against this backdrop, spatial development policies in the European Union but especially in Germany have been reformulated in recent years to respond to the emerging phenomenon of polycentric metropolitan or ‘mega-city’ regions. The purpose of this special issue of “Raumforschung und Raumordnung” is to bring together the most recent findings on how German cities are integrated into the world city network. How has the globalization of economic activity affected this highly polycentric ‘national’ urban system? Are German cities part of two distinct urban configurations, one nation-based, reflecting the federal structure of Germany, the other linking into a global network of cities? Do global network economies increase disparities within the German national urban system?
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