ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the data and methodology for an empirical analysis of this relationship over the last 120 years based on untapped historical records of worldwide vessel movements connecting ports. It lies in the third section, which presents the main results based on the application of several network analytical tools to the evolving matrix of interurban maritime flows. The chapter discusses on the contribution of this research to both urban and network studies, while underlining potential lessons for practice and further research. Relating traffic diversity to city size is motivated by earlier observations about the significant and positive effects of the latter on the former. The long-term analysis of world city networks through the lens of maritime flows confirms well-known facts such as the declining overlap between urban and port hierarchies over time. Nevertheless, demographically larger cities have maintained their prominence in the maritime network.
