Segregated Networks in the City

Abstract

Segregation has been one of the most persistent features of urban life and, accordingly, one of the main subjects of enquiry in urban studies. Stemming from a tradition that can be traced back to the Chicago School in the early twentieth century, social segregation has been seen as the natural consequence of the social division of space. Such naturalized understanding of segregation as ‘territorial segregation' takes space as a surrogate for social distance. We propose a shift in the focus from the static segregation of places—where social distance is assumed rather than fully explained—to how social segregation is reproduced through embodied urban trajectories. We aim to accomplish this by exploring the spatial behaviour of different social groups as networks of movement that constitute opportunities for co‐presence. This alternative view recasts the original idea of segregation as ‘restrictions on interaction' by concentrating on the spatiality of segregation potentially active in the circumstances of social contact and encounters in the city. This approach to segregation as a subtle process that operates ultimately through trajectories of the body is illustrated by an empirical study in a Brazilian city.

Representing Complex Evolving Spatial Networks: Geographic Network Automata

“…In other research studies, models are parameterized based on real data [42][43][44]. In many cases, segregation is modelled as networks [45][46][47][48], however, network representation and analysis of the spatial processes of segregation using real geospatial data has not been explored.…”

Efectos de las autopistas urbanas en sus entornos inmediatos: un análisis desde la Sintaxis Espacial

“…Esto pues el nivel de bienestar o la calidad de vida son inconscientemente "medidos" por las personas sobre la base de sus experiencias o de lo que se encuentran disponible en sus redes (Carr, Gibson & Robinson, 2001;Dodge, Daly, Huyton & Sanders, 2012;Skevington, Sartorius & Amir, 2004). En los casos de ciudades con altos niveles de segregación o de baja movilidad social, estas redes tienden estar limitadas a personas que viven en las mismas condiciones y entornos inmediatos (Link, Mora, Greene y Figueroa, 2017;Netto, Pinheiro & Paschoalino, 2015), invisibilizando las desventajas a tal punto que pasan a ser consideradas como aspectos "cotidianos y normales", disminuyendo la conflictividad que puede desatar alguna intervención en el territorio o una política pública (Narayan, 2002).…”

“…de viaje son menos discrecionales (esto es, asociados preferentemente a vías de transporte público), que los de las personas de más ingresos (Netto et al, 2015).…”

A temporal geography of encounters

“…Freeman's concept suggests that the absence of encounters between people can engender a subtle but effective form of segregation, especially between socially different people. This focus on segregation based on people rather than places is a recent trend in segregation studies (Netto andKrafta, 1999, 2001;Yoav, 2001, 2005;Lee and Kwan, 2011;Kwan, 2013;Selim, 2015;Netto et al 2015;Wissink et al, 2016;Park and Kwan, 2017;Netto, 2017). This offers a whole new perspective on the delicate fabric of encounters keeping local social systems together.…”

“…In turn, similarities in patterns of mobility and appropriation of space (the spaces we are likely to use or pass by) seem to increase the density of encounters between socially similar people (Netto et al, 2015). If this were the case in different cities and contexts, it could also imply reductions in possibilities of contact between the socially different.…”