The digital technologies command: a third dimension of the central flows in the REGIC?

The study on the Areas of Influence of Cities (REGIC) primarily measures central flows based on the public management and business management of the territory. The aim of this article is to propose a third dimension for the operationalization of these long distance relations, considered from the perspective of digital command. This involves a theoretical-methodological framework, which considers the centrality and influence of the territory coupled with the flows of information, knowledge, and wealth, typical of a digital era. The methodology has been based on the development of an indicator to measure the digital command, which may be analyzed either individually or in conjunction with existing data on public and business managements. The article discusses the interplay between innovation and urban networks, which, while corroborating REGIC’s findings, reveals centralities that may not be duly identified by the current methodology.