Unveiling the intermediate role of Mexico’s mid-sized metropolises

This paper analyses the role of metropolises that occupy a secondary place in urban systems and distinguishes between the intermediation and other strategic roles that they can play. As an empirical approximation to secondary cities, the paper operationalises mid-sized cities according to population size and evaluates the economic performance of metropolitan areas within Mexico’s urban system. Drawing on the theories of borrowed size and agglomeration shadows, the paper discusses whether mid-sized metropolitan areas in Mexico have evolved into intermediate urban centres that can drive development and growth. Additionally, the study identifies the economic performance factors across the group of mid-sized metropolises. Different economic performance indicators are calculated and an econometric model is estimated for the period 2008–2018. We find that, with a few exceptions, mid-sized metropolitan areas in Mexico have not evolved into intermediate metropolises and face challenges that limit their strategic role in their respective urban system. This analysis contributes to the literature on secondary cities by studying and providing empirical insights into the functioning and evolution of urban systems that have traditionally been centralised around a single megacity, such as Mexico City.