Logistics Services: Global Functions and Global Cities

Abstract

The services that organise global and regional trade are supplied by multi-locational, multi-functional, and information-intensive firms. However, in much of the urban and regional research these firms are still seen as part of the transportation task, so their urban and regional impacts are expected to be expressed in concentrations of transportation infrastructure. This paper shows that there has been considerable functional and structural change within these services. In effect, they act like producer services and, for many, head offices and regional offices are in global cities, not all of which are major transportation centres. Using data on the location of the head and regional offices..