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Urban gravity in the global container shipping network

Author

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  • Ducruet, César
  • Itoh, Hidekazu
  • Berli, Justin

Abstract

While the spatial and functional relationships between ports and cities have been put in question in the last decades, the continued importance of urbanization and maritime transport in global socio-economic development motivates deeper research on their interaction. The global trade network is often studied at the country level and all transport modes included, concluding that distance remains a strong counterforce to exchange. This article wishes to detect whether the global container shipping network obeys similar properties at the city level. More than 2 million inter-port vessel movements between 1977 and 2016 are assigned to about 9000 ports and 4600 cities to run a gravity model on two different network topologies. Gravitational properties are found, as larger cities connect more with each other but less at distance. The degree of distance effects negatively expanded in 40 years, confirming the “puzzling” or reinforcing effect of distance, yet it varies greatly depending on node aggregation and network topology. We conclude that ports and cities continue to share important interdependencies, but these often rest on a detrimental physical transformation. A discussion is proposed about the underlying operational and theoretical mechanisms at stake. Keywords container shipping; gravity model; maritime trade; port cities; spatial interaction; world city networks.

Suggested Citation

  • Ducruet, César & Itoh, Hidekazu & Berli, Justin, 2020. "Urban gravity in the global container shipping network," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:jotrge:v:85:y:2020:i:c:s0966692320301125
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2020.102729
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    Cited by:

    1. Ducruet, César & Itoh, Hidekazu, 2022. "The spatial determinants of innovation diffusion: Evidence from global shipping networks," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    2. Gonzalez Laxe, Fernando & Armesto Pina, José Francisco & Sanchez-Fernandez, Patricio, 2021. "La conectividad portuaria de Galicia y del Norte de Portugal: características esenciales [The port connectivity of Galicia and the North of Portugal: main features]," MPRA Paper 106784, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. César Ducruet & Hidekazu Itoh, 2022. "Spatial network analysis of container port operations: the case of ship turnaround times," EconomiX Working Papers 2022-15, University of Paris Nanterre, EconomiX.
    4. Ma, Jun-Chao & Wang, Li & Jiang, Zhi-Qiang & Yan, Wanfeng & Zhou, Wei-Xing, 2021. "City logistics networks based on online freight orders in China," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 583(C).
    5. Yap, Wei Yim & Hsieh, Cheng-Hsien & Lee, Paul Tae-Woo, 2023. "Shipping connectivity data analytics: Implications for maritime policy," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 112-127.
    6. Guerrero, David & Niérat, Patrick & Thill, Jean-Claude, 2023. "Connecting short and long distance perspectives in freight transportation: Introduction to a special issue," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    7. César Ducruet, 2020. "The geography of maritime networks: A critical review," Post-Print halshs-02922543, HAL.
    8. Ge, Jiawei & fu, Qiang & Zhang, Qiang & Wan, Zheng, 2022. "Regional operating patterns of world container shipping network: A perspective from motif identification," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 607(C).
    9. Tocchi, Daniela & Sys, Christa & Papola, Andrea & Tinessa, Fiore & Simonelli, Fulvio & Marzano, Vittorio, 2022. "Hypergraph-based centrality metrics for maritime container service networks: A worldwide application," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    10. Ducruet, César, 2020. "The geography of maritime networks: A critical review," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).

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