Residential Concentration Among Immigrants in Oslo

Abstract

On the basis of register data, this article outlines the development ofresidential concentrations among immigrants in Oslo from the early 1970suntil 1996.It is argued that a phase characterized by concentrated immigrant housing inthe inner city was superseded by a phase of dispersal which, in turn, was replaced by a period of new concentration. Western and non‐Western immigrants live in different parts of the city and the degree of residential concentration varies according to the national background of the immigrants.Between 1988 and 1993 there was a net flux of non‐Western immigrantsfrom the inner city east to the old and new suburban dormitory towns on theoutskirts of the city. This is interpreted as a tendency over time to conformto mainstream Norwegian residential patterns.The relevance of the term “ghetto” as a designation of areas in Oslo characterized by a high proportion of immigrants is refuted.Empirical evidence supports the notion that economic resources is the mostimportant factor in creating and maintaining immigrant residential concentrations in the inner city east, while cultural phenomena also appear to play a major causal role.