There are visible differences between different parts of the cortex. This is how Brodmann was able to make his maps over 100 years ago.
Later work with other methods have confirmed that these divisions were correct.
So yes, the fiber tracts connecting the maps establish what is to be processed, and adaptations to the basic Internal wiring in those maps suit them to that processing.
I have good reason to believe that the basic arrangement is the same in all cortex but things like the ratio of lateral connections length and the size of inhibitory inter-neurons sculpt basic functions like Gabor filters and Calvin tiles.
So - how does this play with HTM? My hex-grid and Numenta’s Thousand Brains Theory are attempts to place the basic cortical column into a larger structure. At this larger scale the local features like connection lengths and inhibitory field sizes and types configure the larger functions each map performs.