Abstract
Increasingly pertinent linkages of cities via knowledge intensive business services (KIBS) in the 21st century have opened a new window for academia to reconsider the approach to achieving urban sustainability. In this study, city network was investigated with an aim of identifying its attributes in the framework of sustainable urban development. Data about China’s KIBS, which are compiled in an inter-regional input–output table, were calculated following the procedure of social network analysis. It was found that: (1) the degree of nodes (i.e., out-degree, in-degree and betweenness) in China varies distinctively from city to city; (2) the hierarchy of the city network is very tiny; and (3) that the network structure is subject to both “a small world” and core–periphery effects. Furthermore, city nodes in China fall into four categories, namely high centrality and power, high centrality and low power, low centrality and high power, and low centrality and power. The implication is that governmental efforts should be made to secure a reasonable decentralization of key city nodes to ensure that urban sustainability is built on a city-to-city basis.
Highlights
A city functions as a pool in accumulating social capitals to accommodate human activities
With the increasing intercity communication, problems arising in a city in regard to economy, society and the environment could yield much impact on other cities that are connected to form a larger network
The current era has seen the vital role of knowledge intensive business services in a city network and it spells out endogenous development opportunities in the long run
Summary
A city functions as a pool in accumulating social capitals to accommodate human activities. Recent years have witnessed a larger magnitude of cities that are faced with a crossroad in the way towards social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Whilst the efficiency and effectiveness of scarce resources utilization are unavoidably prioritized, great efforts are advocated to minimize negative impacts on the environment at the same time [2]. In this connection, researchers have stressed the importance of pursuing knowledge-based urban development (KBUD) [3,4]. Promoting sustainability through the creation and exchange of knowledge services in an environmentally conserved, economically secure, socially just and well governed human setting is meaningful to urban development [6]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
