http://repub.eur.nl/res/aut/12582/ List of Publications en http://repub.eur.nl/static-eur/img/logo.png http://repub.eur.nl http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/21483/ 2010-11-02T00:00:00Z Commodity variety and seaport performance, Regional Studies. Seaports are key locations within value chains and production networks. Port policies of national and local governments seek higher rents through strategies of specialization or diversification. Elaborating on longstanding research about urban and regional development, this paper proposes an empirical investigation of the interplay between traffic variety and port performance. The analysis of traffic data per commodity for 330 European ports highlights the influence of multiple factors such as location, function, and local context, together with the specificity of some commodities regarding port evolution. The demonstrated importance of territorial factors provides a good complement to the existing literature mostly focused on global networks and economic players. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/15945/ 2008-09-02T00:00:00Z While the geographical and economic factors concerning the development of hub ports are widely described by a variety of scholars and professionals, there is no recognized methodology measuring the hub dependence of a given port, region, or country. Based on a 20-year database of vessel movements, this paper proposes a methodology measuring hub dependence. North Korea offers a good case of a constrained economy facing dramatic internal and external pressures. Notably, the weight and geographical extent of its maritime connections are worth analysing because of its contrasted evolution from Soviet influence, geopolitical isolation, and growing trade due to economic reforms and increased foreign investments. The main results of this study show the spatial shift from long-distance calls to feeder calls: global foreland contraction, regionalization within Northeast Asia, and traffic concentration upon closest hubs of which South Korean ports. We conclude that hub dependence is a combination of local constraints and trade growth. The political implications of this phenomenon are explored, and a spatial model of hub dependence is proposed. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/14631/ 2008-01-01T00:00:00Z Through quantitative data extracted from Lloyd's insurance group, this paper analyses the evolution of vessel movements through North Korean ports from 1985 to 2005. Results show how ongoing inter-Korean economic integration and the internal difficulties of the North Korean transport system foster North-South maritime connections. Against a backdrop of North Korean economic reforms and growing interrelations between the two Koreas, the shift of North Korean main traffic to Chinese and South Korea transit ports (hubs) illustrates changing trade relations, the contraction of North Korea's economic space, and also practices of ocean carriers, who tend to concentrate their services on the nearest ports with best infrastructure. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/10793/ 2006-12-01T00:00:00Z This paper is one of the first to investigate the evolution and importance of ports in North Korea. It introduces recent changes in the domestic transport system together with the new context of economic reforms since 2002. A first part is dedicated to urban dynamics centering on Nampo. The second part is based on previous models of port evolution in either soviet or developing countries. It proposes an analysis of cargo vessel movements at North Korean ports between 1985 and 2005. Major trends are highlighted such as port concentration, bulk dominance, and limited importance of sea transport for foreign trade. A short comparison with Baltic ports is provided for a discussion about the applicability of transit trade and free-trade zone strategies to North Korean ports. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/10794/ 2006-12-01T00:00:00Z This paper investigates the nature of port-city relationships in two major port regions of the world, Europe and Asia. Although this issue is well analyzed through either isolated case studies or general models, it proposes a complementary approach based on urban and port indicators available for 121 port cities. In terms of demographic size and container traffic, it shows the decline of port-urban dependence, stemming from changes in global transportation and urban development. However, European and Asian port cities are not identically confronted to the same challenges, notably in terms of their hinterlands. A factor analysis highlights a regional differentiation of port-city relationships according to their insertion in both urban and port systems, with a core-periphery dualism in Europe and a port-city hierarchy in Asia. Thus, the distance to inland markets for European ports and the size of coastal markets for Asian ports are the main factors to explain the nature of port-city relationships in the two areas. It helps to evaluate which European and Asian port cities are comparable beyond their cargo volumes, by putting together micro (local environments) and macro (regional patterns) factors. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/9486/ 2006-12-01T00:00:00Z This paper propose policy directions for waterfront redevelopment in Busan, Korea's largest port city. A comparative approach is proposed, based on the relation between waterfront area and the overall structure of the port city in European cities. A spatial model of the European port city is discussed and applied to the Busan case, in order to highlight the major stakes. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/10792/ 2006-06-01T00:00:00Z This paper provides an attempt to evaluate the nature and efficiency of urban networking strategies. Chorems are introduced as a possible comparison tool on spatial structures. A case study of Normandy Metropole and South Coast Metropole is analysed. Results show that the territorial integration of the regional environments are important factors in realizing efficient networking strategies among cities. However, such efficiency shall be linked with cultural and institutional factors. One result is that the efficiency of urban networking depends on the level of local autonomy. The English case performs better due to lacks of individual budgets of the different municipalities, while the French case has less efficiency due to increased decentralisation since the early 1980s.