GaWC Project 42

The Interlocking City Network Model: Explorations in its Range of Application

Funded by: The Francqui Foundation, Brussels (2004-2005)

Grant holder: Peter Taylor (in association with Piet Saey, Frank Witlox and Ben Derudder, University of Ghent)

[Results]

GaWC research will be presented at sponsoring universities in Antwerp, Brussels, Louven and Liege as well as at the host institution, Ghent University. This will include seminars, lectures and a conference.

Within this framework the extension of the interlocking model will encompass two dimensions.

(i) Beyond the economic . The model was designed to measure connectivity between cities interlocked by global service firms. There are, of course, other institutions that use cities and have global locational strategies. This may be a way of providing extensive knowledge on political, social and cultural globalisations. The aim is to create new network geographies of globalization through cities.

(ii) Beyond the contemporary . The model was derived directly from global/world city studies but the outcome, a city network, is most certainly not limited to contemporary urbanization. The focus will be on late medieval/early modern European city networks centred on the Low Countries before the victory of modern territorial state building.