Speaker
Description
Urban residential segregation is a widely studied concept, broadly defined as the spatial separation of social and economic groups within cities. This phenomenon stems from historical, economic, political, and cultural factors, varying in form across different regions (Dadashpoor & Keshavarzi, 2024). Generally, it manifests in two ways: the concentration of affluent residents in gated communities and marginalising disadvantaged populations into socially excluded areas. Social segregation aggravates social inequalities, deteriorates living conditions, and hinders integration and social mobility (Musterd, 2020). All of these challenges also highlight the issue of spatial segregation in Czech planning practice.
Residential segregation is often analysed through concentrations of residents sharing similar sociodemographic characteristics (Sýkora, 2015). However, it also has distinct spatial patterns that differ worldwide. While segregation is often more visible in urban areas, it does not happen exclusively in cities. In the Czech Republic, "socially excluded locality" refers to isolated residential areas inhabited by economically disadvantaged groups, though its definition remains fluid and difficult to pin down (Toušek et al., 2018).
Over the past few decades, various approaches have been proposed by architects and urban planners looking for a link between the built environment and the socio-economic characteristics of the inhabitants. These include linking configurational theories (Vaughan et al., 2005), the topological properties of the street network (Knaap & Rey, 2024) and the composition and importance of public space (Madanipour, 2011).
This paper proposes a framework for examining urban segregation through the lens of spatial connectivity and accessibility of the built environment within the Czech context. The pivotal research question examines whether the accessibility of local amenities, public transportation, and the connectivity of the urban structure influence the level of residential segregation in three Czech regional cities.
The analysis uses a quantitative, descriptive approach to a case study of three comparable cities in the Czech Republic. A key methodology that the research builds on is the identification of localities with a high concentration of socially excluded residents based on available data on recipients of the subsistence allowance (Sýkora, 2015).
This article examines the relationship between socio-economic marginalisation and spatial disadvantage in urban settlements, with a particular focus on accessibility and physical urban form. It also includes the concept of spatial justice, which refers to equal access to services, resources, and opportunities (Soja, 2010).
The analysis of the local amenities and public transport accessibility within the whole settlement is carried out based on the standard and methodology applicable to the conditions of spatial planning in the Czech Republic. The aim is to determine whether socioeconomically excluded inhabitants have limited access to key amenities and whether they are located in less accessible areas regarding transport services. This information provides an essential insight into the spatial disadvantage of the localities.
A detailed description of the urban fabric is performed using configurational theories and methods. Connectivity will be assessed using two main groups of metrics: network metrics and morphological metrics. Network metrics evaluate the ability of urban networks to facilitate human movement. The morphological metrics evaluate the extent to which the urban form restricts movement (Feliciotti, Romice and Porta, 2016; Dovey, Pafka and Ristic, 2017). The resulting aggregated data will be analysed using regression modelling to assess the relationship between spatial characteristics and the concentration of socially excluded residents.
The results contribute to a deeper understanding of the connection of urban form with social segregation and could provide valuable inputs in the search for inclusion-oriented policy tools.
References
Dadashpoor, H. and Keshavarzi, S., (2024). Defining urban segregation: A qualitative meta-synthesis. Cities, 141, p. 104947. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2024.104947.
Dovey, K., Pafka, E. and Ristic, M., (2017). Mapping Urbanities: Morphologies, Flows, Possibilities. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315309170.
Feliciotti, A., Romice, O. and Porta, S., (2016). Design for change: Five proxies for resilience in the urban form. Open House International, 41(4), pp. 23–30. https://doi.org/10.1108/OHI-04-2016-B0004.
Knaap, E. and Rey, S., (2024). Segregated by design? Street network topological structure and the measurement of urban segregation. Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science, 51(7), pp. 1408–1429. https://doi.org/10.1177/23998083231197956.
Madanipour, A., (2011). Social exclusion and space, in LeGates, R. T. and Stout, F. (eds.) The City Reader. 5th ed. Routledge, pp. 186–194.
Musterd, S. (ed.), (2020). Handbook of Urban Segregation. Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781788115605.
Soja, E.W., (2010). Seeking Spatial Justice. University of Minnesota Press.
Sýkora, L. et al., (2015). Metodika identifikace a hodnocení lokalit segregace. Available at: http://migraceonline.cz/doc/metodika_identifikace_lokalit_segregace_dvoustrany.pdf.
Toušek, L. et al., (2018). The demographics of socially excluded localities in the Czech Republic. Demografie, 60, pp. 21–35.
Vaughan, L. et al., (2005). Space and exclusion: Does urban morphology play a part in social deprivation? Area, 37(4), pp. 402–412.
| Keywords | Residential Segregation;Urban Form;Spatial Inequality;Urban Design |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | No |
