GLOBALIZATION AND THE TEXAS METROPOLISES: COMPETITION AND COMPLEMENTARITY IN THE TEXAS URBAN TRIANGLE A Dissertation by JOSÉ ANTÓNIO DOS REIS GAVINHA Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY December 2007 Major Subject: Geography GLOBALIZATION AND THE TEXAS METROPOLISES: COMPETITION AND COMPLEMENTARITY IN THE TEXAS URBAN TRIANGLE A Dissertation by JOSÉ ANTÓNIO DOS REIS GAVINHA Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Approved by: Chair of Committee, Daniel Z. Sui Committee Members, Robert S. Bednarz Hongxing Liu Michael Neuman Head of Department, Douglas J. Sherman December 2007 Major Subject: Geography iii ABSTRACT Globalization and the Texas Metropolises: Competition and Complementarity in the Texas Urban Triangle. (December 2007) José António dos Reis Gavinha, B.A., Universidade do Porto; M.Sc., University of Toronto Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Daniel Z. Sui This dissertation examines relationships between cities, and more specifically the largest Texas cities, and the global economy. Data on headquarters location and corporation sales over a 20-year period (1984-2004) supported the hypothesis that globalization is not homogeneous, regular or unidirectional, but actually showed contrasted phases. Texas cities have been raising in global rankings, due to corporate relocations and, to lesser extent, the growth of local activities. By year 2004, Dallas and Houston ranked among the top-20 headquarters cities measured by corporation sales The Texas Urban Triangle had one of the major global concentrations of oil- and computer-related corporation headquarters; conversely, key sectors like banking, insurance and automotive were not significant. Standardized employment data in major U.S. metropolitan areas was examined through principal components analyses. Overall, larger places showed higher degrees of diversity, and no trend toward economic convergence. The TUT also presented a degree of intra-regional diversity comparable to other urban regions. Findings confirmed the relevance of oil- and information-related activities, along with construction, and weakness of activities linked to finance and corporate management. Traffic and air linkages in Texas cities were contrasted to other American gateways. Dallas and Houston have been major nodes in global air transportation, with very important roles as transit hubs for domestic (the former) and short international (the latter) flights. For long-haul international traffic both cities were second-level American gateways, with Houston mobilizing better connected to Western Europe and Mesoamerica, and Dallas to South America and East Asia. Dallas central location strengthened its role in the domestic market, as the center of one of the five major subsystems in the country and a top gateway in enplanements, number of linkages and connectivity measures. The Texas air travel network hierarchical organization was iv relatively unbalanced, with two strong nodes at the top, three little-relevant middle nodes, and several very poorly interconnected gateways at the bottom. Finally, the high supply of regional flights between primary destinations, namely Dallas and Houston, resulted in significant effects of time-space convergence. Such effects were only found between highly-connected major gateways, and completely bypassed other places, independently of their size and relative location. v DEDICATION To my Parents, to my Pong, they are irrefutable proof of how privileged is the life I was given to live. vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am deeply thankful to my Chair, Dr. Daniel Z. Sui. I would have been unable to pursue this dissertation without his guidance and encouragement, his enormous patience, personal advice, and financial support. He is a point of reference in terms of teaching, scholarship and career devotion in the extremely competitive and demanding academic world. I must also thank my other committee members, Dr. Robert S. Bednarz, Dr. Hongxing Liu and Dr. Michael Neuman for their direction, assistance, and encouragement. They were always ready to share some of their time, start friendly discussions, and provide fruitful suggestions. To the Department of Geography at Texas A&M University, and especially its head Dr. Douglas J. Sherman and assistant head Dr. Jonathan Smith, I am indebted for providing all the resources necessary to pursuing this degree, as well as helpful mentoring and good advice. I should also extend my special thanks to the entire faculty and to the department’s staff, and especially to Kathy Lamarque, Cathy Bruton, Delbra Davis, Toya Meriweather, Orlando Karam, Barry Hunter, and Mohammed Rayee for their assistance. And to my good friends and mentors Igor Vojnovic, who convinced to come to Texas and never stopped supporting me, and Horacio Capel, always a model of academic and personal excellence. I always found strength and encouragement in many of my fellow graduate students. This degree will always be associated with people like Gillian, Joni, Wendy, César, Wei, Zengwang, Aldo, Jongwon, Veit, Edward, Wei-Ming, and many more, and to the beginning of enduring friendships. My life in College Station would have been much harder without the giant heart and generosity of Teri and Randi Price, the camaraderie of my volleyball gang, and the support of larger-than-life people like Dr. Robert Carter and Dr. James DeGeere. I must also thank all my family and all my friends from their encouragement, endless confidence and continuous support. They are too many to name, but they also know how much they mean to me, and why a long list is not necessary – we are, and we will remain close. Last but not least, there many other friends I no longer have the chance to share this moment with. Let this be my sincere and grateful way to allow them to share in this moment. Deep in my heart are my cousins Rosa, Angélica and Abílio, Jorge, Rogério, and Herculano; my aunts and uncles Maria and António, Alcinda and Ezequiel, Estela and António, Ernesto, Mercedes and José, Celina and João, and my four grandparents. Also are there, in no particular vii order, my primary-school teacher Rosa Freitas, Georgina and Vitorino, Ângela and David, Carolina and João, Leonor, Fernanda and José, Zulmira and João, Salette and António, Arminda and Vítor Daniel, Lavínia, Florinda and Francisco, Ilídia, Fernando and José Sobral, João Campos, Rosa e Domingos, António Trindade, José Alfredo, José Verde, Germano, Cândido and Sílvio Simões, Inocêncio and Luís Pedro, António Morgado, Joaquim Portela and Joaquim Malheiro, Flora, Isabel and Angel, Artur, José Alegria, Natália, Etelvina and Noémia, Maria Armanda, Rosa and Ermelinda, Florentina and Ricardo, Maria Ângela and Maria Albina, Alice, Cândida and Alípio, Maria José, Benilde, Ana e Domingos, Maria, Vitalina and Esperança, Francisco, Aida, José, Domingos and Augusto, Maria and António Pereira, Lourdes and Luís, Purificación, Carneiro da Silva, John Bonar II, Dolphene, George, Rui and António, Ernesto Feu, Diogo, Fernando, Armando, and many others. Despite your physical absence, I am celebrating this degree with all of you in mind, and you will always remain with me. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... iii DEDICATION ................................................................................................................... v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................ vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................... viii LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................ x LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. xii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 1 1.1 Research background ..................................................................... 1 1.2 Research objectives ........................................................................ 4 1.3 Study relevance .............................................................................. 6 1.4 Structure of the dissertation ........................................................... 7 II LITERATURE REVIEW .............................................................................. 8 2.1 Introduction .................................................................................... 8 2.2 Theorizing globalization ................................................................ 8 2.3 World cities, global cities and global regions ................................ 30 2.4 Analyzing and comparing cities in the new economy ................... 39 2.5 Air transportation and time-space in geography ............................ 48 2.6 Summary ........................................................................................ 61 III THE TEXAS URBAN TRIANGLE .............................................................. 63 3.1 Introduction....................................................................................... 63 3.2 The individualization of Texas .....................................................