Absolute distance is expressed in physical units such as kilometres and is unchangeable. ‘The geography of the world as we experience it is being twisted and contorted so as to bear very little relation to the physical distances that are involved. The human aspect of this is sometimes called social distance or cultural distance—those gulfs that can exist in the understanding and in the history of experiences that we bring to the world. Physical proximity is not necessarily a good measure of social and cultural distance’ (D. Massey, BBC/OU Open2.net—Free Thinking).

Relative distance includes any other kind of distance such as time-distance, measured in hours and minutes, and changing with varying technology. ‘It’s the relative distance that counts’ (Chauvin and Gaulier (2002) TIPS Annual Forum). Breschi and Lissoni (2006) CESPRI W. Papers 184 show that spatial distance and technological distance are both proxies of social distance. Carrere and Schiff (2004) World Bank W. Paper Series 3206 find that ‘distance has become more important over time for a majority of countries’.