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This paper discusses whether high‐speed rail (HSR) construction in China promotes urban economic growth, and it uses social network analysis (SNA) and a panel threshold model. We provide robust evidence that HSR networks have non‐linear effects on the urban economy. Urban location and transportation hub status change as the density of HSR networks increases, and from 2008 to 2017, the national average annual growth rate of the weighted degree centrality (WDC) was 44.93%. We find the WDC and betweenness centrality (BC) have positive influences on urban economic growth. However, HSR network expansion reduces the economic benefits of HSR because the marginal contribution of new HSR lines to economic productivity decreases and there is a crowding out effect caused by excessive agglomeration. HSR networks can promote the economy of Western China to a greater extent and can promote the economy more in small cities than in large and medium‐sized cities. These findings can help the government rationalize its strategy for designing HSR lines in various regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In addition to their often‐cited role as global service hubs, world cities are also global innovation hubs with their connectivity in knowledge networks crucial for the innovation clusters they harbour. While both aspects of world cities' global connectivity may allow their urban economies to grow, we argue that specialization in one of these two networks may increase economic performance. We provide systematic evidence of this substitution effect by examining the changing positions of 129 world cities in inter‐city innovation and service firm networks (2000–2012). Fixed effects panel analysis of city GDP growth confirm that the two networks are partial substitutes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultural heritage has been recognized as fundamental for local development. In particular, some recent works have highlighted the role of sophisticated transmission channels of this relationship, that is local creativity and cosmopolitan identity. Following a territorial perspective, the present work aims at combining the two approaches, in the belief that there could be a synergic interplay between creativity and cosmopolitan identity, reinforcing their individual effects. Accordingly, an original conceptual and operational taxonomy characterizing cultural cities is put forward. The contribution of the different identified patterns to urban and regional growth is assessed, as well as their capacity to valorize cultural participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]