1139 | 752 | Railways and seaways in the age of steam: a global urban analysis | Barbara Polo Martin; César Ducruet; Bruno Marnot
The main objective of this research is to analyze the connectivity of cities in a coupled network made of planar (railways) and non-planar (maritime) topologies. It takes the state of the network during the period 1880-1925, namely the context of the First Globalization wave (1880-1914), when trade and urban development were closely tied to progress in communications systems and especially steam propulsion. Edges represent intercity physical infrastructure on land, and inter-port ship voyages at sea. We test several hypotheses in terms of inter-network specialization and port-city relationships. Main results underline a crucial influence of railway proximity on vessel traffic volume and steam specialization
. They also confirm theoretical and empirical facts by which larger cities are more diversified than smaller cities in terms of connectivity.
Barbara Polo Martin; César Ducruet; Bruno Marnot
French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) & UMR 7235 EconomiX; University of La Rochelle & UMR 7266 LIttoral ENvironnement et Sociétés (LIENSs)
ID Abstract: 752