The simplest way to classify cities is to identify the distinctive role they play in the city system. There are three distinct roles:

1. central places functioning primarily as service centers for local hinterlands. City of Rovaniemi in Lapland
2. transportation cities performing break-of-bulk and allied functions for larger regions. - City of Hamburg
3. specialized-function cities, dominated by one activity such as mining, manufacturing or recreation and serving national and international markets. City of Forssa - water power -> textile industry. The city of Helsinki Russian Emperor Alexander I of Russia moved the Finnish capital from Turku to Helsinki in 1812 to reduce Swedish influence in Finland → the city of administration → transportation centre.