Urban Competitiveness and Territorial Attractiveness in the World Urban System

Dear Colleagues,

In an increasingly interconnected and unequal world, cities have emerged as strategic nodes in the world urban system. Their ability to attract capital, people, knowledge, and symbolic recognition depends on the interplay of infrastructures, governance models, cultural resources, and spatial positioning. This Special Issue explores the multiple dimensions through which cities build, project, and sustain their competitiveness and attractiveness in a globalized context. By analyzing how cities strategically use their infrastructure, symbolic capital, and governance strategies, this issue offers a comprehensive overview of urban competitiveness in the world urban system.

We welcome contributions that analyze how urban competitiveness is constructed through:

(i) Physical mobility, accessibility, and the strategic use of transport infrastructure. Cities’ physical connections, such as transport networks, road and rail accessibility, and airports, are key drivers of competitiveness. We invite studies that explore how high-speed rail (HSR), road networks, and multimodal transport hubs enable cities to integrate into global networks. The focus here will be on accessibility, mobility, intercity connectivity, and how cities use infrastructure to attract investment and people.

(ii) Activation of symbolic capital via urban branding, tourism, cultural and sporting events, creative economies, and smart city strategies. This sub-theme explores how cities leverage urban branding, tourism, cultural festivals, and sporting events to enhance their global positioning. We are particularly interested in how smart city strategies, creative economies, and the activation of symbolic capital contribute to a city’s territorial attractiveness, global image, and positioning.

(iii) Governance and Paradiplomacy in Urban Strategic Development. This sub-theme will explore how cities leverage governance and paradiplomacy to enhance their global competitiveness. Contributions are encouraged that examine how cities engage in multilevel governance, city diplomacy, and paradiplomatic efforts to secure international alliances, influence global policy, and elevate their position within global networks.

(iv) Urban Hierarchies and International City Networks: Indicators of Global Competitiveness. This sub-theme will analyze the functional hierarchies within the global urban system and the role of international city networks in urban competitiveness. We invite studies that explore how cities compete through advanced services, connectivity, and multi-functional activities, using urban rankings, statistical indicators, and spatial modeling for understanding urban hierarchies and interurban dynamics.

This Special Issue adopts a geographical approach to global urbanization, emphasizing the role of nodes, flows, territorial disparities, and symbolic economies in shaping urban competitiveness. We welcome research focused on both urban and interurban scales, with contributions examining consolidated global cities as well as cities in transition seeking greater international projection and competitiveness. Case studies, comparative analyses, network-based approaches, and spatial modeling techniques (GIS, accessibility, intercity connectivity, etc.) are particularly encouraged.

By integrating diverse research perspectives, this Special Issue aims to advance the existing literature, offering novel insights into how cities navigate the complexities of global competitiveness and territorial attractiveness. It provides a comprehensive understanding of the strategies, challenges, and opportunities that shape cities’ roles as pivotal actors in the world urban system.

Dr. Roberto Díez-Pisonero
Dr. Pacheco Ray Freddy Lara
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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