HIERARCHIES OF SPATIAL NETWORK SYSTEMS. IN: NEW CONTRIBUTIONS TO TRANSPORTATION ANALYSIS IN EUROPE

Networks are important organizational structures of complex phenomena. In this paper, the concept of hierarchy as a system of Chinese boxes is presented, which was first introduced by Simon in 1974. This approach differs from the more widespread definition of hierarchy, since it emphasizes the interrelationships among the various parts of the network rather than defines a criterion that determines a hierarchy based upon dominance and subordination. In recent years there have been drastic transformations in the European geo-political and socio-economic map. Such changes not only pertained to the functional relations between regions, but at times also concerned the morphology of the network system in Europe. These structural developments have prompted various research questions on the relationships between spatial structure and spatial processes in a network economy. A rather common concept - often accepted in European policy decisions - is the notion of spatial hierarchy in networks, which implies a multi-layered configuration with major nodes at the top of the hierarchy. In this context, it is an intriguing research questions to ask what these hierarchical concepts precisely mean and how they can be investigated in an operational sense. The aim of this paper is to shed some light of this issue.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/1840145064
• Corporate Authors:

  Ashgate Publishing Company

  110 Cherry Street, Suite 3-1
  Burlington, VT  United States  05401-3818
• Authors:
  • Medda, F
  • Nijkamp, P
  • Rietveld, P
• Publication Date: 1999

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: p. 151-167
• Serial:
  • Atmospheric Environment
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 1352-2310
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/13522310

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Decision making; Internal friction; Networks; Operations; Organizations; Policy analysis; Science; Systematics; Systems
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Economics; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Policy; Society; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00794220
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 1840145064
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 27 2000 12:00AM