Ranking Of Cities Research Articles

A CONTRIBUTION TO THE STUDY OF POPULATION FROM THE EAST (HELLENIC-SPEAKING COUNTRIES) IN THE MUNICIPIUM ULPIANA IN THE SOUTH OF THE PROVINCE OF UPPER MOESIA

The paper presents the data regarding the inhabitants from the east (Hellenic‑speaking countries) in the municipium Ulpiana in the south of the province of Upper Moesia (Kosovo and Metohija). The occupation of Dardania and the establishment of the Roman province of Upper Moesia led not only to territorial but also to ethnic changes in this area, about which we are insufficiently informed. By conquering the territory of Dardania and establishing their authority over it, the Romans left a certain autonomy to its inhabitants, followed by urbanization and Romanization from the 1st to the 4th century. After occupying Dardania, there was a period of introduction of the local population into the Roman state-political order, as well as the organized settlement of colonists of oriental origin (Hellenic-speaking countries). The Roman administration introduced the local population in Moesia with a new period which brought new achievements to the conquered areas. Urbanization was carried out gradually, through the settlement of Roman citizens, the oriental population (Hellenic-speaking countries), and the served legionnaires, in colonies, followed by the promotion of native settlements to the rank of cities under Roman law, municipium. This process led to the integration of a significant part of the native population from the south of Upper Moesia (Kosovo and Metohija). A significant number of foreigners, settlers from the east (Hellenic-speaking countries) lived and worked in the south of Upper Moesia, primarily in urban areas. It should be noted that the majority of epigraphic monuments from the area of Kosovo and Metohija belong to Roman citizens who immigrated from the Romanized areas of the Empire. They mainly originate from the two largest city centers, Ulpiana near Gračanica and the Roman settlement near Sočanica, in the Ibar valley. Diverse archeological finds and epigraphic monuments shed some light on these processes in the municipium of Ulpiana.

Domestic migration and city rank dynamics

Domestic migration and city rank dynamics

Optimizing Smart City Strategies: A Data-Driven Analysis Using Random Forest and Regression Analysis

This study investigates the critical factors influencing smart city program success through a comprehensive data-driven analysis of 140 urban centers. Advanced machine learning techniques, specifically random forest algorithms, in conjunction with regression analysis, were employed to examine the correlations between 45 distinct attributes and respective smart city rankings. The findings reveal that the human development index (HDI) is a key predictor of smart city performance. Furthermore, the regression analysis revealed that elements such as education, healthcare, infrastructure, and digital services significantly enhance achieving higher HDI scores. Similarly, factors like education, sanitation, healthcare, and government transparency are closely associated with successfully implementing sharing platforms. These findings highlight the importance of investing in human capital, developing digital infrastructure, and promoting community engagement to create sustainable and resilient smart cities. Policymakers can utilize these findings to prioritize investments and devise effective strategies to improve their city’s ranking.

Emergence of sublinear scaling of firearm ownership in the United States

Recently, Succar and Porfiri (Nature Cities 1(3):216–224, 2024) reported sublinear scaling for firearm ownership in the United States. Their analysis hinted at a causal role of prevalence of homicides and firearm accessibility on firearm ownership, supporting self-protection as a driver of firearm ownership. In this study, we propose a microscopic, individual-level model to explain these macroscopic, city-level findings. In the model, individuals dwell in a city and buy a gun if they experience a violent interaction and know a dealer. We examine the model from a network science perspective and show the emergence of sublinear scaling with an exponent matching empirical observations. Beyond scaling, the model provides accurate predictions of city rankings in terms of firearm ownership, underscoring the explanatory power of the self-protection theory.

A hybrid MCDM framework for assessing urban competitiveness: A case study of European cities

Achieving high performance in long-term sustainability is crucial for urban areas. Comparative analysis of cities based on specific indicators over time offers valuable insights for stakeholders involved in urban development and enhances the understanding of city performance. This study tackles the challenge of ranking major cities based on multidimensional performance using a multiple-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach. We introduce a novel hybrid MCDM framework that integrates Logarithmic Percentage Change-driven Objective Weighting (LOPCOW), CRiteria Importance Through Inter-criteria Correlation (CRITIC), and Aczel-Alsina Weighted ASsessment (ALWAS). The results derived from the data-driven linear weighting strategy combining the outputs from LOPCOW and CRITIC indicate that the three most influential drivers influencing the competitive levels of the analyzed cities are livability, environment, and accessibility, respectively. The findings of ALWAS, responsible for the city rankings, show that London is the most successful city with respect to competitive performance among the leading European cities in the sample. Additionally, the effectiveness of the proposed framework is illustrated through a case study evaluating the global competitiveness of European cities. Sensitivity and comparison analyses confirm the stability and reliability of the results, validating the robustness of the proposed approach.

Port shipping connectivity as a new driver of urban exports in the context of dual circulation: Evidence from China

In the context of frequent uncertainty risks in the international environment, ports play an increasingly important role in regional export growth. This paper innovatively examines the impact of port shipping connectivity on urban exports from the perspective of microeconomic entities participating in international and domestic circulations. By employing theoretical mechanisms and econometric models, this study explores the impact, channels, moderating effects, and heterogeneity of port shipping connectivity on urban exports. The empirical analysis is based on panel data from 33 ports and 144 hinterland cities in China, covering the period from 2007 to 2021. The findings indicate that improvements in port shipping connectivity drive urban export growth. Domestic and international circulations serve as the channels. Furthermore, the impact of port shipping connectivity on urban exports varies depending on several factors, including production capacity, customs clearance costs, development periods, hinterland types, regional distribution, port ranking, and city ranking. Our research provides policy implications for both central and local governments in China. In summary, local governments, supported and guided by the central government, should promote healthy competition among ports and strengthen coordination between ports and cities.

Sustainable urban development policies and practices in the United States

Sustainability approaches have a special significance in terms of ensuring a long-term and balanced multi-dimensional urban development. The purpose of the study is to reveal and describe the main features of sustainable urban development in the United States in terms of urban policymaking and practical implementation. In the theoretical part of the paper, various interpretations of sustainable urban development and sustainable cities were discussed and summarized. Meanwhile, a brief description of the current state of global urbanization processes was given. Through secondary data analysis (governmental reports, descriptions of missions and target activities, legislative acts, etc.), comparison and generalization, the main actors (governmental bodies at federal level) and priorities of the U.S. urban policy with a special focus on sustainability were identified and discussed. In addition, the framework of the U.S. sustainable urban development policymaking was suggested and generalized. Different city rankings (based on sustainable development goals, green development, etc.) reveal the leading role of Pacific Coast urban areas, Washington D.C., Boston and New York City in terms of urban sustainability practices. Various urban innovations are implemented in the same and other urban areas, promoting the further development of smart sustainable city concept in the United States.

Spatialization and Analysis of China’s GDP Based on NPP/VIIRS Data from 2013 to 2023

The quality of nighttime light (NTL) data is an important factor affecting the estimation of gross domestic product (GDP), but most studies do not use the latest NPP/VIIRS V2 annual composite product, and there is a lack of China’s GDP estimation products in recent years. To address this problem, this paper studies the NPP/VIIRS remote sensing estimation method for the GDP in mainland China from 2013 to 2023. First, the remote sensing data are preprocessed, and the noise masking method is used to remove outliers. The total amount of NTL, average NTL value, and comprehensive NTL index data are extracted. Combined with the GDP data from the Statistical Yearbook, a fitting model of the GDP and NTL index is constructed. The differences between different GDP estimation models are compared and analyzed, and the optimal model is selected as the estimation model. In addition, through the optimal fitting model, GDP spatial estimation products from 2013 to 2023 are produced. Moreover, the spatiotemporal variation characteristics of the GDP in mainland China are analyzed, with a focus on the spatiotemporal variation of GDP decline regions and the changes in the GDP rankings of provinces and cities. The main conclusions include the following: (1) In the time regression analysis, the linear model MNL has a strong correlation with the GDP, with an R2 of 0.972. This model is selected as the optimal fitting model to calculate the spatial data of the GDP. (2) The spatial distribution of the GDP in mainland China is high in the east and low in the west, and it shows a characteristic of extending from the provincial capital to the surrounding cities. The connectivity between adjacent high-GDP areas continues to increase. (3) From 2013 to 2023, the GDP in most parts of China showed an upward trend, with 98.56% of pixels growing and only 0.99% of pixels declining. The declining pixels are mainly distributed in heavy industrial cities supported by fossil fuel resources, such as Ordos, Daqing, Aksu, etc. (4) Compared with statistical data, the overall difference of the GDP estimated by NTL data is not large, and the relative error is between 0.04% and 1.95%. From the perspective of the GDP ranking of each province, the ranking of most provinces is not much different, fluctuating between ±2. A small number of provinces have large ranking differences due to reasons such as dominant industries and power supply. By spatializing the GDP data of mainland China in the past 11 years, the spatiotemporal changes of the GDP within mainland China were analyzed. The research results can provide support for government economic decisions such as urban development.

The Capacities and Sustainability of Croatian Cities in Performing Municipal Services

The system of local and regional self-governments in the EU is characterized by an extremely large number of small units. The situation in Croatia, a country with only 3.87 million inhabitants, is no different. There are 576 local and regional self-government units. The basic feature of self-government in Croatia is the equal scope of authority in performing tasks, regardless of the number of inhabitants, the area they inhabit, or their ability to pursue sustainability objectives. In this paper, we analyze the capacities of performing municipal services in 127 Croatian cities and examine whether cities differ in their ability to perform public functions. Results show that cities can be grouped into three different clusters. The validity of the results on clusters was confirmed with an ANOVA, where a significant difference was found between all three clusters. Ranking cities according to the capacity for providing municipal services shows that cities with higher capacities are clustered together, implying that cities indeed differ in their ability to perform municipal services. Further, the results indicate that 80 percent of the cities belong to the cluster that consists of cities with a very low capacity for providing public services.

Analyzing world city network by graph convolutional networks

British scholar Peter Taylor constructed the World City Network by analyzing the office networks of multinational companies, enabling a network perspective on world cities. However, this method has long been hindered by data deficiencies and update delays. In this study, we utilized publicly available, real-time updated data on global routes to construct the World City Network, thereby addressing the issues of data insufficiency and delayed updates in the existing model. For the first time, advanced Graph Convolutional Networks were employed to analyze the World City Network, and we introduced GCNRank. Finally, we compared GCNRank with other centrality measures and found that GCNRank provides a more detailed representation of city rankings and effectively avoids local optima.

Business Tourism in Georgia – Reality and Perspectives

Business tourism in Georgia has been actively developing in recent years. In 2022, 6.6% of the total number of visitors was on business visits, and 6.8% in 2023. In 2023, the country received USD 4.1 billion in revenue from tourism, which is 26.2% higher than the pre-pandemic figure in 2019. With the 2022 ranking of business meetings of the world countries, Georgia ranks 64th with 18 meetings, while Tbilisi is ranked 129th in the ranking of world cities with 16 business meetings. There is a lack of halls for 1,000 people in Georgia to hold large forums. Under construction in Tbilisi, Panorama Sololak, with a capacity of more than 3,000 delegates, is expected to add the largest conference space to the city's MICE market. Over the next few years, 15 hotels of the international brand will increase the market of Tbilisi MICE with an area of 12,537 sq. m., with a total capacity of 8,485 guests. On July 4, 2024, the National Tourism Administration organized the International Prestige Forum of Business Tourism M&I Tbilisi 2024 in Tbilisi. Within 4 days, representatives of the leading European companies participated in it. The forum had about 200 participants, of which 68 foreign companies visited Georgia specifically to learn about Georgia's capabilities, its infrastructure and potential. Keywords: Business Tourism, MICE Tourism.

Evaluasi Rasionalitas Insulin Pada Pasien Diabetes Mellitus Tipe 2 Rawat Jalan di RSUD Kota Madiun Periode 2022

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by hyperglycemia that occurs due to defects in insulin secretion, insulin action or both. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is currently a global health threat. Various epidemiological studies have shown an increase in the incidence and prevalence of DM in the world. Based on data from the profile of the East Java Health Office in 2021, it is estimated that DM patients in Madiun City rank fourth in the East Java region. . Objective: This research was conducted to determine the evaluation of the rationality of insulin in type 2 DM patients in the Outpatient Hospital of Madiun City Hospital for the period 2022. Methods: This research method is in the form of an observational research, retrospective data collection in the form of medical records of history of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients at Outpatient Hospital at RSUD Madison City. The total population in this study in the period January - December 2022 was 165 patients. Results: From the 62 type 2 DM patients who were outpatients at Madiun City Regional Hospital, it was found that 14.52% using single insulin and 12.90% used Detemir insulin. The use of the insulin combination was 85.48% and the Detemir – Aspart insulin combination was 58.06%. Conclusion: Evaluation of the rationality of insulin use showed that the correct drug was 100% and the correct dose was 93,55%.

Assessing economic landscapes: city rankings (2010–2022)

Urban assessment is crucial for understanding the dynamics of city development, identifying areas for improvement, and formulating targeted policies to enhance the quality of life for residents. This study focuses on evaluating Kazakhstan’s megacities across nine indicators grouped into financial and economic condition, business development, and living standards. Using comparative analysis and ranking methods, the study assesses budgetary allocations, population dynamics, industrial growth, and the impact of strategic investments on urban development. Drawing on current economic and demographic trends, the study examines the role of cities as drivers of economic growth and highlights the importance of addressing social and economic inequalities. Through a literature review, the study contextualizes the findings within the broader discourse on urbanization and economic development, emphasizing the need for nuanced strategies to address regional disparities. Methodologically, a rating system based on quantitative indicators from 2010 to 2022 is employed, with a heatmap visualization to illustrate city rankings across various indicators. Using aggregated data on key economic indicators, the cities were classified into three categories: high-ranking, mid-ranking and low-ranking. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of urban development in Kazakhstan and provides insights for policy formulation aimed at promoting sustainable and inclusive growth across its megacities. The city ranking analysis depicts a varied economic landscape in Kazakhstani cities. High-ranked cities exhibit robust economic performance with low poverty rates, strong average salaries, and active retail trade, hinting at promising business prospects. Mid-ranked cities show mixed performances, while low-ranked cities face considerable economic challenges, including higher poverty, lower salaries, and potential declines in trade.

Is There a Digital Rebound in the Process of Urban Green Development? New Empirical Evidence Using Ensemble Learning Methods

The convergence of digitization and greening is an unavoidable path of modern economic progress. Nonetheless, the digital economy does not consistently align with the principles of green development, potentially leading to a rebound effect in urban digitalization initiatives. To investigate the correlation between the digital rebound effect and urban green development, this study utilizes panel data from Chinese prefecture-level cities spanning from 2011 to 2019. By examining the dual impact of the digital economy on green development, the paper posits a theoretical hypothesis regarding the nonlinear marginal effect of the digital economy. This research demonstrates an inverted U-shaped correlation between the digital economy and urban green development via empirical analyses employing the random forest algorithm and partial dependency plots. It supports the existence of a moderate digital resiliency effect, which eventually reaches a state of stability rather than greatly diminishing the degree of green development in urban areas. In addition, the heterogeneity analysis reveals that the positive effects of the digital economy are more popular in cities located in the eastern and central regions, as well as in the National Comprehensive Pilot Zone for Big Data. However, these effects do not vary significantly among different ranks of cities. The mechanism test found that the information effect and the capital allocation effect are the mechanisms by which the digital economy affects green development, and there is a “U-shaped” relationship between the digital economy and information asymmetry and capital mismatch. According to the study’s results, improving the digital economy’s governance structure continues to make more sense than merely increasing the number of digital inputs.

“No woman's land?” The gendered patterning of urban street names in Romania

The gendered patterning of urban street names as part of the spatial production of broader male-centric memorial landscapes has been documented in a growing body of scholarship. Scholars from various cognate fields, such as cultural geography, gender and memory studies, and urban sociology, have unraveled the stark gender disparities favoring men inscribed into symbolic landscapes through place names, public monuments, and other memorial artefacts. This article sets out to overcome some of the limitations characterizing this strand of research – namely, the lack of statistical sophistication and the preference for case studies based on singular cities – by developing a multi-level modelling of gendered street nomenclature at the national level. The approach developed in this paper employs the complete collection of urban street names in Romania to assess the empirical adequacy of five hypotheses regarding the gendered structuring of the country's urban namescape. This analysis highlights the factors underpinning the variation of gender disparities in terms of Romania's historical regions, ethnic demographics and local ethnopolitics, city ranking within the national territorial administration and intra-urban stratification of the road network, as well as the effects brought about by postsocialist transformations.

Smart Cities in comparison: An analysis of the best Smart Cities

This research paper aims to identify the best Smart City in the world, by investigating the rankings of Smart Cities, based on its main characteristics and implemented policies. The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive understanding of what makes a city “Smart” and to highlight the successful strategies employed by the top-ranked Smart Cities. The research employs a qualitative analysis approach, utilizing thematic maps created with the QGIS software. This methodology allows for a detailed examination of various factors contributing to a Smart City’s status, including but not limited to, technological integration, sustainable practices, and citizen participation. The expected results of this study is to report and analyze the best smart cities, according to the Smart City rankings, and also to shed light on the key elements and policies that contribute to their success. These findings could serve as a benchmark for other cities striving to achieve ‘Smart’ status. Furthermore, the thematic maps will visually represent the distribution and implementation of Smart policies, providing a clear and comprehensive overview of the Smart landscape in the top-ranked cities. This research has the potential to contribute to the field of urban development and planning, particularly in the context of Smart Cities. It could guide policymakers and city planners in designing and implementing effective strategies to transform their cities into more sustainable, efficient, and livable spaces.

Sustainable urban transportation performance in Ankara: A comparative study

Urban mobility is increasing rapidly due to the increasing population, number of motor vehicles and economic developments in Türkiye. Private vehicles are given priority in ur-ban transportation policies and practices in metropolitan municipalities. Therefore, prob-lems such as traffic congestion, delays, air pollution, noise, improper land use, traffic ac-cidents and decrease quality of life are experienced. Although sustainable transportation is generally referred to with air pollution, global warming and climate change; It refers to a wide transportation structure that is sustainable in terms of economic, social and envi-ronmental effects. In this study, Ankara's sustainable urban transportation performance was compared with İstanbul, İzmir, Konya and Antalya, using the Sustainable Urban Transportation Index (SURKENT), which was previously developed by the author. In SURKENT, 15 sub-indicators are defined under 4 main indicators. The main indicators are Environmental Performance (EP), Transportation Performance (TP), Energy Perfor-mance (EnP) and Municipality Governance Performance (MGP). 4 sub-indicators were used under Environmental Performance, 7 under Transportation Performance, 2 under Energy Performance and 2 sub-indicators under Municipality Governance Performance. Minimum-maximum normalization was used for sub-indicators containing quantitative data, and 0-100 scoring was used for qualitative data. The ranking of cities with the high-est sustainable urban transportation performance was found as follows: İstanbul, İzmir, Konya, Ankara, Antalya. Ankara; it is 3rd in EP, 3rd in TP, 5th in EnP and 2nd in MGP.

Digital financial inclusion, resident consumption, and urban carbon emissions in China: A transaction cost perspective

Using data from 283 Chinese cities from 2011 to 2018, this study empirically investigates the impact of digital financial inclusion on urban carbon emissions. We conclude that digital financial inclusion significantly promotes urban carbon emissions. Moreover, as urban carbon emissions increase, the marginal effect first grows and then dwindles. A further investigation shows that digital financial inclusion significantly promotes urban carbon emissions by increasing resident consumption. Finally, we find that the impact of digital financial inclusion on urban carbon emissions is heterogeneous in terms of city size, city rank, and the commercial credit environment. In addition, digital financial inclusion has spillover effects on urban carbon emissions. It delivers positive effects on the local city while imposing significant suppressing effects on carbon emissions in neighbouring cities. The reason possibly is that digital financial inclusion in China is still in its early stage and it delivers ‘polarization effects’.

Measuring Italian art cities tourism: a proposal of indicators

In Italy, art cities have traditionally served as “magnets” for cultural tourism, significantly contributing to the country’s economic vitality. Many historic city centers are not simply “boxes” of artworks but are veritable open-air museums. In recent years, the profile of cultural and experiential visitors has increasingly oriented towards experiences that can be enjoyed individually or with family. While the traditional tourism system continues to offer conventional tourist products, it is also evolving to meet the growing demand for unique and unforgettable experiences. This represents new challenges for destination areas that seek to improve services and create attractions that can meet this emerging new audience. The objective of this work is to propose a composite indicator that measures the tourism potential of these art cities, drawing upon existing tourism indexes in the literature and equitable and sustainable well-being (BES) indicators, such as the domains of “landscape and cultural heritage” and “environment”. The decision to employ these indicators stems from their considerable relevance in a country like Italy, as well as the specific focus of our study. Additionally, we developed a ranking of Italian art cities, enabling us to determine their relative levels of attractiveness. To achieve this, a panel of Italian provincial capitals was selected, each with at least one museum and a UNESCO site. The composite indicator developed, which also considers social and environmental perspectives, represents an alternative quantitative approach to assessing the attractiveness of art cities. The underlying principle is that, in the ever-evolving scene of cultural tourism, beyond the indispensable role played by artistic and cultural heritage, the impact of scenic landscapes on people's quality of life and its connection to individual well-being plays a crucial role. This indicator could provide territorial planning professionals with statistical tools capable of identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the tourism offer of those cities that set themselves the goal of being a privileged place of artistic tourist attraction. The proposed composite indicator should make it possible to comprehend whether and how to develop paths to enhance the entire artistic heritage, while also considering the well-being of visitors.

Assessing quality of life in German, French, Italian and Polish smart cities: Identifying the need for further development

The concept of smart cities has gained significant attention in recent years, as urban areas worldwide seek to leverage technology and innovation to enhance their residents' quality of life. It is agreed that one of the core objectives of the smart cities is the optimisation of quality of life and resident satisfaction. This research endeavours to explore the relationship between smart city rankings and quality of life in four European countries: Germany, France, Italy, and Poland. In doing so, we encountered a multitude of complexities and nuances. While the concept of smart cities holds great promise for urban development and enhancing residents' well-being, the current methodologies for comparing smart cities and assessing quality of life require refinement and standardization. Addressing these challenges will not only advance our understanding of the impact of smart city initiatives but also pave the way for more effective urban planning and policy decisions to improve the overall quality of life in urban areas.