Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society - Advance Access

Globalization, uneven development and capital: reflections on reading Thomas Friedman's The World Is Flat

Cox, K. R. — 2008-01-01

In his book ‘The World Is Flat’, Thomas Friedman postulates notions of ‘flatness’ that combine to suggest, on the one hand, tendencies towards an equalization of chances of economic development; and on the other, a displacement of vertical forms of organization by more horizontal ones, notably of states by markets. Drawing on historical geographical materialism, it is shown that geographically uneven development is a necessary outcome of the accumulation process; and equally, states are inevitably implicated in this outcome.

It's a big world after all: on the economic impact of location and distance

Brakman, S., van Marrewijk, C. — 2008-01-01

Thomas Friedman, a very influential and widely read journalist (author of The World is Flat), argues that distance is no longer a dominant characteristic of the world economy. Competition is thought to be a race to the bottom, with the lowest wage countries as the big winners. In contrast, using various methods and data sets, we show that many threats of global competition for the position of the traditionally developed (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries are unwarranted, that distance still dominates all aspects of international trade and that there is little evidence of income convergence.

Mountains in a flat world: why proximity still matters for the location of economic activity

Rodriguez-Pose, A., Crescenzi, R. — 2008-01-01

Thomas Friedman (2005, The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux) argues that the expansion of trade, the internationalization of firms, the galloping process of outsourcing and the possibility of networking are creating a ‘flat world’: a level playing field where individuals are empowered and better off. This paper challenges this view of the world by arguing that not all territories have the same capacity to maximize the benefits and opportunities and minimize the risks linked to globalization. Numerous forces are coalescing in order to provoke the emergence of urban ‘mountains’ where wealth, economic activity and innovative capacity agglomerate. The interactions of these forces in the close geographical proximity of large urban areas give shape to a much more complex geography of the world economy.

Globalization and the rise of mega-cities in the developing world

van der Ploeg, F., Poelhekke, S. — 2008-01-01

Thomas Friedman has argued in The World Is Flat that those who deny rapid globalization will not survive in the global economy. First, we critically discuss Friedman's views and highlight the new globalization driven by outsourcing and vertical specialization. Second, we argue that Friedman pays insufficient attention to the spectacular growth of mega-cities in the developing world. The world is not flat, and the developing world certainly is not. Still, mega-cities tend to become too big. Their growth also goes hand in hand with formation of slums and congestion. We thus argue that there is a role for public policies.

Globalization and economic geography: the world is curved, not flat

McCann, P. — 2008-01-01

This paper analyses the argument put that the world is becoming flatter from the perspective of economic geography and spatial economics. In order to do this, we consider the variety of empirical evidence available, much of which appears to be prima facie rather paradoxical. However, it is possible to reconcile all of the seemingly conflicting the evidence by adopting the argument that the global economy simultaneously exhibits trends towards both increasing globalization and localization. Cities are increasingly seen to be the critical context for growth. Using diagrams, we demonstrate that analytically the global economy is becoming even more curved.