Internationalisation of intermediate cities: current trends in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina

Abstract

This paper presents an analysis of the internationalisation of intermediate cities in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Framed in the field of the paradiplomacy studies, it takes a critical stance on the use of the concept and returns to alternative theoretical-methodological tools, such as subnational international policy and the international participation index. Taking a quantitative-qualitative approach, it notes a significantly higher internationalisation profile of these cities recently, with increasing levels of institutionalisation and a pre-eminence of unilateral and bilateral strategies. The originality of the work lies in its focus on a realm that has received relatively little attention in the speciality in Latin America, and in the study of general trends, going beyond the single case studies that dominate the field.

Keywords

• intermediate cities
• buenos aires province
• argentina
• paradiplomacy
• subnational international policy