Decomposing Multi‐Level Ethnic Segregation in Auckland, New Zealand, 2001–2013: Segregation Intensity for Multiple Groups at Multiple Scales

Abstract

There has been a growing appreciation that the processes generating urban residential segregation operate at multiple scales, stimulating innovations into the measurement of their outcomes. This paper applies a multi-level modelling approach to that issue to the situation in Auckland, where multiple migration streams from both Pacific Island and Asian origins have created a complex multi-ethnic city. We identify two distinct trends. For the larger ethnic groups segregation remained static despite rapid growth over a recent twelve-year period. For the smaller groups growth has been combined with considerable change; they initially clustered in a few localities and areas within them but then experienced considerable reduction in the intensity of that segregation. By spatially decomposing the segregation levels, this paper extends our appreciation of its underpinning processes when they apply to migration streams that differ in their nature from those on which traditional residential location-decision theory has been based.

Diverse neighbourhoods: an analysis of the residential distribution of immigrants in Ireland

“…Other recent developments allow researchers to quantify the uncertainty surrounding segregation measures such as the dissimilarity index using Bayesian hierarchical modelling (see Lee et al, 2015), though once again computation is complex and these measures are not widespread. Manley et al (2018) apply a multilevel approach to multi-ethnic segregation in Auckland, New Zealand. This allows them to investigate segregation in smaller neighbourhoods and larger areas at the same time, to circumvent the problem that most segregation indices are sensitive to the level or area chosen.…”

Residential segregation by nationalities: A global and multilevel approach to Barcelona and Madrid (2008–2018)

“…Yet this result was masked by using a global index. This outcome pointed to the need to use different spatial scales and led to the development of multilevel analysis (Harris & Owen, 2018; Lan et al, 2020; Manley et al, 2019). The new approach measures residential segregation taking account of a range of spatial levels that conform a hierarchy: for instance, census tracts, neighbourhoods and districts.…”

“…Global indices mask the spatial levels at which residential segregation changes. The recent development of multilevel analysis (Andersson et al, 2018;Harris & Owen, 2018;Manley et al, 2019;Lan et al, 2020) tackle the issue as this new approach measures residential segregation taking account of a range of spatial levels that conform a hierarchy. This paper makes three connected and complementary contributions.…”

Measuring residential segregation in multi‐ethnic and unequal European cities

“…This aspect has led recent studies to develop a multi‐scale approach when analysing residential segregation and designing bespoke/egocentric neighbourhoods according to different measurements of radius or areas based on population size (e.g. de Bézenac et al, 2021; Manley et al, 2019; Marcińczak et al, 2021; Östh et al, 2015; Petrović, et al, 2018; Wright et al, 2011). However, in the studies that address the relationship between segregation and the spatial scale, there is little reflection that goes beyond the merely spatial dimension.…”