Glen Norcliffe

Professor Emeritus
Email: gnorclif@yorku.ca
Attached CV
Media Requests Welcome
Accepting New Graduate Students
I am an active Professor Emeritus researching global production networks, geographical impacts of technological change and regional change in global peripheries.
Appointed to York in 1970, I have been on faculty for 48 years. My research has evolved over the decades but remains focused on the intersection of economics, politics and cultural studies. I have conducted research in China, France, Canada, the United States, Japan and Africa.
Degrees
D.Sc (Geography), University of Bristol (2006)Ph.D. (Geography), University of Bristol (1970)
M.A. (Geography), University of Toronto (1967)
B.A. (Geography), University of Cambridge (1965)
Professional Leadership
As a Professor Emeritus, my periods of professional leadership as Departmental Chair and Graduate Program Director are history. I remain on the editorial board of The Canadian Geographer, and continue to organize sessions at professional conferences.
Community Contributions
As a geographer I planned and helped build over several years a trail system on an 80 acre property owned by the Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority which was officially opened in 2018 by Ontario's Lieutenant Governor.
I am past President of the International Veteran Cycle Association which coordinates research and restoration of antique bicycles and holds an annual rally in a different country every year.
Research Interests
- Canadian Association of Geographers Award for Scholarly Distinction - 2003
- Doctor of Science (University of Bristol) - 2006
- The Fairman Prize of the American Precision Museum for contributions to the historical geography of mass production. - 1998
- Visiting Fellow, Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge - 1977, 2013, 2017
Current Research Projects
-
Summary:
This project is in its early stages. It examines the formation of the Global Production Network for China's National Hockey Team, in which Canada plays a key role.
Description:This project is in its early stages. I examines the formation of the Global Production Network that is training China's National Hockey Team, particularly for the next Winter Olympics to be held in Harbin, China. Canada plays a key role in this enterprise.
Start Date:
- Month: Jan Year: 2016
Norcliffe, G (2013). Schliessende Statistik für Geographen: Eine Einführung (Berlin: Springer-Verlag) [First published in 1981, and re-issued as an eBook in 2013 as one of “40 renowned imprints” in the Springer Book Archives accumulated between 1842 and 2005]. [eBook]
Norcliffe, G. (2005) . Global Game, Local Arena: Restructuring in Corner Brook, Newfoundland (St. John’s: ISER Books) 247pp.
Glen Norcliffe, and Gao Boyang (2018). “Hurry-slow: automobility in Beijing or a resurrection of the kingdom of bicycles?” Chapter 5 in Richard Dennis, Deryck Holdsworth and Philip Mackintosh eds. Architectures of Hurry: Mobilities and Modernity in Urban Environments. (London: Routledge Historical Geography Series) . In press.
Norcliffe, G (2016). “Geographical imaginaries in Richard Lesclide’s « Le Tour du Monde en Vélocipède » ”. Cycle History 26: Proceedings of the Twenty-Sixth International Cycle History Conference pp.71-75.
Norcliffe, G (2015). Critical Geographies of Cycling: History, Political Economy and Culture. (Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge Publishing) 285pp.
Glen Norcliffe, and Ron Miller (2013). ““Defining the nation: the rise of the Canadian Wheelmen.” Cycle History 23: Proceedings of the Twenty-Third International Cycle History Conference (Cheltenham, Quorum), pp.110-121.
Norcliffe, G. (2012) . “Before geography? Early tricycles in the age of mecanicians.” Cycle History 22: Proceedings of the Twenty-Second International Cycle History Conference (Cheltenham: Quorum), pp. 86-99.
Freeman, D and Norcliffe, G. (2012) . “The 1970s: Growing pains within a rapidly changing world.” Geography at York University: Reflections on the First Fifty Years edited by William Found and John Radford (Toronto, Ontario: Department of Geography, York University) pp. 73-90.
Boyang Gao, Weidong Liu, Glen Norcliffe, and Chao Du, “Trade barriers and global production networks: a study of the bicycle trade between China and Canada.” Acta Geographica Sinica, 66(4): 477-486.
Norcliffe, G. (2009) . “The Coventry tricycle: technology, gender and buzz”, Cycle History19: Proceedings of the Nineteenth International Cycle History Conference (St.Etienne: Musee d’Arts et d’Industries) pp. 136-143.
Norcliffe, G (2016). Paul Smethurst (2015) The Bicycle: Towards a Global History (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan) Studies in Travel Writing Vol. 20(3), 313-316. [book review]
Boyang Gao, Michael Dunford, Glen Norcliffe, and Weidong Liu (2017). “Capturing gains by relocating global production networks: the rise of Chongqing’s notebook computer industry, 2008–2014.” Eurasian Geography and Economics, 58(2) 231-257.
Norcliffe, G. (2017) . “National identity, club citizenship and the formation of the Canadian Wheelman’s Association 1883-87.” Journal of Canadian Studies, Vol. 51(2) 461-484.
Daniel Evans and Glen Norcliffe (2016). “Local identities in a global game: the social production of football space in Liverpool.” Journal of Sport and Tourism, 20(3-4) 217-232. Reprinted in: T. Hinch, J. Higham and B. Moyle eds., Sport Tourism and Sustainable Destinations. (Abingdon, UK: Taylor and Francis) 2018.
Maxime Lessard-Lachance and Glen Norcliffe (2013). “’To Storm the Citadel’: Geographies of protest at the Summit of the Americas in Québec City, April 2001”. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 103(1), 180-194.
Michael Andreae, Jinn-yuh Hsu, and Glen Norcliffe (2013). “Performing the trade show: the case of the Taipei International Cycle Show”. Geoforum, Vol. 49(1), 193-201.
Boyang Gao, Weidong Liu, and Glen Norcliffe.(2012). “Hypermobility and the governance of global production networks: the case of the Canadian cycle industry and its links with China and Taiwan”. The Canadian Geographer, Vol. 56(4), 439-458.
Norcliffe, G. (2011) . “Neoliberal hypermobility and the tricycle”. Osaka City University, Urban Research Plaza Document 11, 70-76.
Norcliffe, G. (2011) . “Neoliberal mobility and its discontents: working tricycles in China’s cities”. City, Culture and Society, Vol. 2(4), 235-242
Norcliffe, G. (2009) . “Technological change”, in Kitchin, R. and Thrift, N. eds International Encyclopaedia of Human Geography, Volume 1. (London: Elsevier) 165-170.
Norcliffe, G. (2009) . “G-COT: The geographical construction of technology”. Science, Technology and Human Values, Vol. 34(4), 449-475.
Norcliffe, Glen: “Neoliberal mobility and its discontents”, Conference on Creating Cities: Culture, Space and Sustainability, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany, February 2010.
Michael Andreae and Glen Norcliffe: “Performance at trade shows: the case of the Taipei International Cycle Show”, Canadian Association of Geographers, Ontario Division, Brock University, October 2008.
Approach to Teaching
I am retired from teaching but actively supervise graduate students.
I am an active Professor Emeritus researching global production networks, geographical impacts of technological change and regional change in global peripheries.
Appointed to York in 1970, I have been on faculty for 48 years. My research has evolved over the decades but remains focused on the intersection of economics, politics and cultural studies. I have conducted research in China, France, Canada, the United States, Japan and Africa.
Degrees
D.Sc (Geography), University of Bristol (2006)Ph.D. (Geography), University of Bristol (1970)
M.A. (Geography), University of Toronto (1967)
B.A. (Geography), University of Cambridge (1965)
Professional Leadership
As a Professor Emeritus, my periods of professional leadership as Departmental Chair and Graduate Program Director are history. I remain on the editorial board of The Canadian Geographer, and continue to organize sessions at professional conferences.
Community Contributions
As a geographer I planned and helped build over several years a trail system on an 80 acre property owned by the Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority which was officially opened in 2018 by Ontario's Lieutenant Governor.
I am past President of the International Veteran Cycle Association which coordinates research and restoration of antique bicycles and holds an annual rally in a different country every year.
Research Interests
Awards
- Canadian Association of Geographers Award for Scholarly Distinction - 2003
- Doctor of Science (University of Bristol) - 2006
- The Fairman Prize of the American Precision Museum for contributions to the historical geography of mass production. - 1998
- Visiting Fellow, Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge - 1977, 2013, 2017
Current Research Projects
-
Summary:
This project is in its early stages. It examines the formation of the Global Production Network for China's National Hockey Team, in which Canada plays a key role.
Description:This project is in its early stages. I examines the formation of the Global Production Network that is training China's National Hockey Team, particularly for the next Winter Olympics to be held in Harbin, China. Canada plays a key role in this enterprise.
Project Type: Self-FundedRole: To work with Chinese colleagues to trace the formation of this GPN
Start Date:
- Month: Jan Year: 2016
All Publications
Glen Norcliffe, and Gao Boyang (2018). “Hurry-slow: automobility in Beijing or a resurrection of the kingdom of bicycles?” Chapter 5 in Richard Dennis, Deryck Holdsworth and Philip Mackintosh eds. Architectures of Hurry: Mobilities and Modernity in Urban Environments. (London: Routledge Historical Geography Series) . In press.
Norcliffe, G (2016). “Geographical imaginaries in Richard Lesclide’s « Le Tour du Monde en Vélocipède » ”. Cycle History 26: Proceedings of the Twenty-Sixth International Cycle History Conference pp.71-75.
Norcliffe, G (2015). Critical Geographies of Cycling: History, Political Economy and Culture. (Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge Publishing) 285pp.
Glen Norcliffe, and Ron Miller (2013). ““Defining the nation: the rise of the Canadian Wheelmen.” Cycle History 23: Proceedings of the Twenty-Third International Cycle History Conference (Cheltenham, Quorum), pp.110-121.
Norcliffe, G. (2012) . “Before geography? Early tricycles in the age of mecanicians.” Cycle History 22: Proceedings of the Twenty-Second International Cycle History Conference (Cheltenham: Quorum), pp. 86-99.
Freeman, D and Norcliffe, G. (2012) . “The 1970s: Growing pains within a rapidly changing world.” Geography at York University: Reflections on the First Fifty Years edited by William Found and John Radford (Toronto, Ontario: Department of Geography, York University) pp. 73-90.
Boyang Gao, Weidong Liu, Glen Norcliffe, and Chao Du, “Trade barriers and global production networks: a study of the bicycle trade between China and Canada.” Acta Geographica Sinica, 66(4): 477-486.
Norcliffe, G. (2009) . “The Coventry tricycle: technology, gender and buzz”, Cycle History19: Proceedings of the Nineteenth International Cycle History Conference (St.Etienne: Musee d’Arts et d’Industries) pp. 136-143.
Norcliffe, G (2016). Paul Smethurst (2015) The Bicycle: Towards a Global History (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan) Studies in Travel Writing Vol. 20(3), 313-316. [book review]
Norcliffe, G (2013). Schliessende Statistik für Geographen: Eine Einführung (Berlin: Springer-Verlag) [First published in 1981, and re-issued as an eBook in 2013 as one of “40 renowned imprints” in the Springer Book Archives accumulated between 1842 and 2005]. [eBook]
Norcliffe, G. (2005) . Global Game, Local Arena: Restructuring in Corner Brook, Newfoundland (St. John’s: ISER Books) 247pp.
Boyang Gao, Michael Dunford, Glen Norcliffe, and Weidong Liu (2017). “Capturing gains by relocating global production networks: the rise of Chongqing’s notebook computer industry, 2008–2014.” Eurasian Geography and Economics, 58(2) 231-257.
Norcliffe, G. (2017) . “National identity, club citizenship and the formation of the Canadian Wheelman’s Association 1883-87.” Journal of Canadian Studies, Vol. 51(2) 461-484.
Daniel Evans and Glen Norcliffe (2016). “Local identities in a global game: the social production of football space in Liverpool.” Journal of Sport and Tourism, 20(3-4) 217-232. Reprinted in: T. Hinch, J. Higham and B. Moyle eds., Sport Tourism and Sustainable Destinations. (Abingdon, UK: Taylor and Francis) 2018.
Maxime Lessard-Lachance and Glen Norcliffe (2013). “’To Storm the Citadel’: Geographies of protest at the Summit of the Americas in Québec City, April 2001”. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 103(1), 180-194.
Michael Andreae, Jinn-yuh Hsu, and Glen Norcliffe (2013). “Performing the trade show: the case of the Taipei International Cycle Show”. Geoforum, Vol. 49(1), 193-201.
Boyang Gao, Weidong Liu, and Glen Norcliffe.(2012). “Hypermobility and the governance of global production networks: the case of the Canadian cycle industry and its links with China and Taiwan”. The Canadian Geographer, Vol. 56(4), 439-458.
Norcliffe, G. (2011) . “Neoliberal hypermobility and the tricycle”. Osaka City University, Urban Research Plaza Document 11, 70-76.
Norcliffe, G. (2011) . “Neoliberal mobility and its discontents: working tricycles in China’s cities”. City, Culture and Society, Vol. 2(4), 235-242
Norcliffe, G. (2009) . “Technological change”, in Kitchin, R. and Thrift, N. eds International Encyclopaedia of Human Geography, Volume 1. (London: Elsevier) 165-170.
Norcliffe, G. (2009) . “G-COT: The geographical construction of technology”. Science, Technology and Human Values, Vol. 34(4), 449-475.
Norcliffe, Glen: “Neoliberal mobility and its discontents”, Conference on Creating Cities: Culture, Space and Sustainability, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany, February 2010.
Michael Andreae and Glen Norcliffe: “Performance at trade shows: the case of the Taipei International Cycle Show”, Canadian Association of Geographers, Ontario Division, Brock University, October 2008.
Approach to Teaching
I am retired from teaching but actively supervise graduate students.