地理科学进展 ›› 2013, Vol. 32 ›› Issue (8): 1177-1186.doi: 10.11820/dlkxjz.2013.08.001

所属专题: 人口与城市研究

• 城市地理与区域发展 •    下一篇

关于世界城市研究的两场争论及其对相关研究的影响

薛德升, 黄鹤绵   

  1. 中山大学城市与区域研究中心, 广州510275
  • 收稿日期:2013-04-01 修回日期:2013-06-01 出版日期:2013-08-25 发布日期:2013-08-25
  • 作者简介:薛德升(1969-),男,山西祁县人,教授,博士生导师,主要从事城市地理与城市规划、经济地理等领域研究。E-mail: eesxds@mail.sysu.edu.cn
  • 基金资助:
    国家自然科学基金重点项目(41130747)

Two debates and two trends:Review on world city research

XUE Desheng, HUANG Hemian   

  1. Center for Urban and Regional Studies, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
  • Received:2013-04-01 Revised:2013-06-01 Online:2013-08-25 Published:2013-08-25

摘要: 20 世纪80 年代以来,“世界城市”成为城市研究领域的热点话题。在迄今30 年的研究过程中,2000 年前后发生的针对世界城市经典理论的两场学术争论具有里程碑意义:① 关于世界城市发展动力和类型的争论;② 关于世界城市发展历史的争论。通过争论,凝聚了学界共识,引发了本研究领域逐步从论证经济全球化对城市重构的作用转向讨论城市全球化的多样路径。两场争论之后,“世界城市政治”和“世界城市历史”的讨论成为新世纪两个重要的研究方向。本文回顾了经典世界城市理论以及对其的早期批评,详细介绍了两场争论及其引发的两种研究方向,并在此基础上提出了对中国世界城市研究的启示。

关键词: 动力, 类型, 历史—比较方法, 世界城市, 世界城市政治

Abstract: This paper provides a review on the progress of world city research in the past 30 years. It attempts to argue that, in the 21st century, the focus of world city literature has shifted from proving the links between economic globalization and urban restructuring to revealing different pathways in world city formation. Two debates took place around 2000 have become turning points in the academic trajectory: (1) debate on world city types and driving forces led by Hill and Kim; (2) debate on world city history led by Abu-Lughod. This paper is organized into three sections. First, it briefly reviews the classical theories alongside with some early criticisms. In the 1980s, the world city theories founded by Friedmann and Sassen have caused a paradigm shift in urban studies. Cities have been seen as basing points of the new international division of labor. Although the classical theories are still the foundation of current research, scholars have criticized them for overemphasizing the economic factors, exaggerating the generality of New York model and neglecting historical analysis. Because of lacking solid empirical bases, these early criticisms have not challenged the classical theories radically. Secondly, it introduces the two debates and two following trends in detail. Based on the study of Tokyo and Seoul, Hill and Kim have led the first debate. As the important role of developmental state, they designated the two Asian cities as state-centred global cities, which were in sharp contrast to the market-certred ones, such as New York and London. Friedmann and Sassen have responds to their arguments and admitted that, the classical theories neglected the role of state. The second debate is about history of world cities. Through investigating the evolution of three American cities in a long-term, Abu-Lughod has explored their unique responses, called "personality", to globalization. Her historical-comparative method has opened up an important new theoretical perspective and aroused interest on historical analysis. As a result of the two debates, the discussions in this field have already been moved forward. Researches on "world city politics" and "world city history" have become two major trends in this new century. Finally, based on the reviews, it states some inspirations for world city research in China. With the rising of China, Chinese cities will play more important roles in the world. The research should not just follow the classical theories, but reveal the nature of Chinese modes, which will help to find the right way and enrich the world city theories.

Key words: comparative-historical method, driving forces, types, world cities, world city politics