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G. Haindlmaier, V. Riedl:
"Rankings and Networks - Global Cooperation and Competition";
Vortrag: 15th International Conference on Urban Planning and Regional Development in the Information Society, Wien (eingeladen); 18.05.2010 - 20.05.2010; in: "CITIES FOR EVERYONE: Liveable, Healthy, Prosperous", (2010), 7 S.

Due to strong economic and technological changes over the last decades cities and regions are facing
growing competition for high ranked economic activities (see Begg 1999) within the information society. On
the urban level, cities aim at improving their competitiveness and their position in the national or
international urban system. This trend enhances the importance of specific local characteristics, which
provide comparative advantages competing for increasingly footloose and mobile global enterprises,
investors, tourists and capital (Parkinson et al. 2004; Giffinger et al. 2003). Hence, the comparison of cities
can support investors in their choice of location on the one hand, but it can also be an important guide for
future city development on the other. But not only from the perspective of cities themselves the increasing
competitive pressure and adequate handling of new challenges for urban management, planning and urban
politics matters, but also urban research and analysis considers cities in competition increasingly, as, for
example, the ongoing discussion on global cities shows (Sassen 2001, Taylor 2004).
Therefore, this paper discusses two different approaches to compare cities and to see them in global
competition:
City rankings and current concepts of city networks. City rankings increasingly attract public attention,
supported by the media, and serve as "flagship" for city marketing. A multiplicity of city rankings can be
found both on a national and on an international level, showing up with considerable differences in form and
content. Concepts of urban networks try to see cities as a network above their nations. Within those networks
competition and cooperation takes place, forming the image, ranking and status of a city within that networks
(Castells 2000, Sassen 2002).
Within that paper the conceptual differences of these concepts as well as their meanings and implications for
cities (planning, politics, city marketing) in a global challenge will be discussed. Thereby, special emphasis
will be put on indicators measuring the concept of "quality of life".