Les villes dans les réseaux mondiaux : Une nouvelle méthodologie pour cartographier la position relationnelle des villes

In the last few years, it has become commonplace to assert that important cities owe a large part of their functional importance to their position in multifarious global networks. However, because of the structural lack of adequate data, it is very difficult to provide empirical evidence for the very existence of such global urban networks. The main objective of this paper is therefore to outline a methodology to map the global relational position of major cities. The methodology presented in this paper is based on the observation that cities are connected through the offices of global service firms. The methodology is discussed against the backdrop of the recent empirical literature on global urban networks, and its relevance is illustrated by showing how Paris and Lyon are connected to other major cities in global corporate networks.