Organización del espacio a partir de la jerarquía y funcionalidad urbanas: El caso del departamento del Atlántico, Colombia

The Atlántico is one of the departamentos (provinces) making up the Caribbean region, in northern Co-lombia. Barranquilla, a fluvial and maritime port, is the most important center, serving as the structural node for the region¿s spatial organization. The influence of this city is noticeable not only at the departmental and regional levels, but also within the Colombian national context. Nonetheless, in the Atlantic urban system serious shortcomings are evident in public service provision as well as in the production, distribution and exchange of goods and other services. Almost all economic activity is concentrated in the main city, which leaves little room for specialization and functional decentralization to cities and towns of lesser hierarchy in the system. Current conditions call for some sort of spatial re-organization if the region is to play a more significant role in the development of the nation at large.