Exploratory Analysis of the World City Network

Abstract

Drawing on previous specification and measurement of the world city network, this paper develops an exploratory research design using principal components analyses. Multiple solutions are used to explore the structure of a matrix defined by 123 cities and 100 global service firms in which the cells indicate the value of the firm's office in that city. Principal components analysis produces clusters of cities based upon similar profiles of service firms. Using 13 separate analyses, the main finding is a prime structure consisting of Outer cities, US cities, Pacific Asian cities, Euro-German cities and Old Commonwealth cities. Other secondary structures are also found. The end-result is a new geography of globalisation as indicated by configurations of the world city network.

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