Breaking the rules: Miami in the urban hierarchy

Abstract

This study examines Miami's position in the urban hierarchy and its development in the context of the process of globalization. Miami is an exceptional city in the sense that it combines a subordinate and peripheral position in the national urban system with a prominent international position. Miami's international role is examined in relation to the process of globalization and in the context of the world-city literature. This literature is criticized for its exclusive economic and functionalistic focus, and the concept of Weltstadt is introduced to broaden understanding of the role of cities in the process of globalization. Miami is used as an illustration of a city that is highly internationalized and exposed to globalizing forces but which lacks a powerful command function in the international economy.