Revisiting port-cities in the global context

This chapter focuses on the role of port-cities within the system of the global economy. While literature on globalization has paid too much attention to the major global/world cities at the top hierarchy such as New York, London and Tokyo, it has rather neglected how other cities—especially those with ports—are affected by globalization trends. Although it is not the intension of this book to discuss or criticize the globalization theories, and the impact of global forces on the city, however, since ports are considered as elements within a global network, it is essential to unpack some concepts: gateway-cities, entrepôts and hub-cities are used as filters to study the role of cities within the system of global connections. The intension is to broaden our understanding on the connection between globalization and the city, beyond the limited focus on global/world cities. The role of ‘maritime ports’ as important assets for the city is also discussed through positioning this infrastructure, as a freight transport terminal, within the logistics system and the global supply chain. In fact, through the growing complexity of supply chains and markets, port-cities can become a nodal point to facilitate the transportation of goods and knowledge.