A measure of regional influence with the analytic network process

The metropolitan region is commonly defined by a socio‐spatial network of urban nodes that are linked in territory and function. Such a network is differentiated by size and dominance of the linked nodes, characterized by physical or virtual flows of a wide‐ranging variety. The analytic network process (ANP) is a multi‐criteria analytic method that measures the influence or dominance of the nodes in a network with feedback. We illustrate how ANP determines county rank as a measure of influence in a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) defined by its interrelated socio‐economic and spatial elements qualitatively and quantitatively. We compare the ANP results to similar measures of regional influence in the literature.