Special Issue "Socio-Spatial Inequalities and Segregation in Cities: Social Dynamics and Collective Responses"

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Geography and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 21 September 2021.

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ismael Blanco
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
IGOP—Departament of Political Science and Public Law, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
Interests: urban segregation; social inequalities; urban policies; urban governance; social innovation
Dr. Oriol Nel·lo Colom
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Geography, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
Interests: urban segregation; social inequalities; urban policies; urban governance; social innovation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

The growth of social inequalities over the last decades has a strong urban dimension, not only because cities are the places where inequalities have grown more rapidly, but also because the physical and social characteristics of different urban spaces have a great influence in the living conditions and social prospects of the different social groups. Urban segregation—understood as the tendency of different social groups to separate across the urban space according to their income level and other related variables—plays an important role in the reproduction of social inequalities. This special issue aims to explore the dynamics of socio-spatial inequality and segregation in major cities across the world, as well as the social and institutional responses that can counteract them.  The papers will tackle aspects such as: a) the magnitude and the evolution of residential segregation in large cities and its relationship with social inequalities; b) the differences in the living conditions in different urban areas and their social effects in ambits like housing, work, food, education, childhood and urban mobility; c) the role of community action and solidarity practices in the face of increasing social and urban vulnerability; d) the social effects of the uneven distribution of public resources across different urban areas; e) the role that urban policies can play in counteracting socio-spatial inequalities.

Dr. Ismael Blanco
Dr. Oriol Nel·lo Colom
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • urban segregation
  • social inequality
  • urban policies
  • institutional density
  • solidarity
  • community action

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

Article
Do Neighborhoods with Highly Diverse Built Environment Exhibit Different Socio-Economic Profiles as Well? Evidence from Shanghai
Sustainability 2021, 13(14), 7544; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13147544 - 06 Jul 2021
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Abstract
The link between the built environment and residential segregation has long been of interest to the discussion for sustainable and socially resilient cities. However, direct assessments on how extensively diverse built environments affect the social landscapes of cities at the neighborhood level are [...] Read more.
The link between the built environment and residential segregation has long been of interest to the discussion for sustainable and socially resilient cities. However, direct assessments on how extensively diverse built environments affect the social landscapes of cities at the neighborhood level are rare. Here, we investigate whether neighborhoods with a diverse built environment also exhibit different socio-economic profiles. Through a geodemographic approach, we scrutinize the socio-economic composition of Shanghai’s neighborhoods. We statistically compare the top 10% (very high values) to the bottom 10% (very low values) of the following built environment variables: density, land use mix, land use balance, and greenness. We show that high-density areas have three times the percentage of divorced residents than low-density areas. Neighborhoods with a high level of greenness have median values of 30% more residents aged between 25–44 years old and five times the percentage of houses between 60 to 119 m2 than low-greenness areas. In high land-use mix areas, the share of people that live on a pension is 30% more than the low land-use mix areas. The findings of this study can be used to improve the designs of modern, sustainable cities at the neighborhood level, significantly improving quality of life. Full article
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Article
Social Capital: Higher Resilience in Slums in the Lagos Metropolis
Sustainability 2021, 13(7), 3879; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13073879 - 01 Apr 2021
Viewed by 576
Abstract
Different slums exhibit different levels of resilience against the threat of eviction. However, little is known about the role of the social capital of the slum community in this context. This study investigates the factors contributing to slum resilience in the Lagos Metropolis, [...] Read more.
Different slums exhibit different levels of resilience against the threat of eviction. However, little is known about the role of the social capital of the slum community in this context. This study investigates the factors contributing to slum resilience in the Lagos Metropolis, Nigeria, through a social capital lens. This study first investigates land allocation in slums, then the available social capital, and subsequently how this capital influences resilience to the threat of eviction in slums. Data were collected in two slum communities, in Lagos, through in-depth interviews and focus groups discussion. This study shows that land allocation is done by the traditional heads, contrarily to the mandate of the Nigeria Land Use Act of 1978. Furthermore, there is a form of structural social capital through the presence of government registered community development associations in the slums; however, their activities, decision-making process and the perception of the residents’ towards their respective associations, differs. This led to differences in trust, social cohesion and bonding ties among residents of the slum, thereby influencing resilience to the threat of eviction in slums. Since community group associations, through the appointed executives, drive the efficient utilization of social capital in slums, this study therefore recommends their restructuring in order to support a sustainable solution to the threat of eviction in slums in Lagos. Full article
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