Spatial Inequalities Research Articles

Intra-urban house prices in Madrid following the financial crisis: an exploration of spatial inequality

In this paper we explore the temporal dynamics of spatial inequality in housing prices for Madrid, the capital city of Spain. Spatial inequalities are a concerning feature of urban areas across the globe. It has been suggested that within cities housing prices are becoming more geographically unequal over time, particularly since the 2008 housing market crash. However, more evidence is needed at the intra-urban level to understand neighbourhood house price differences in large urban areas. Changes are analysed during a key period of the housing market bust (2010–2015) and boom (2016–2019), using data from a major housing listing portal. Fine grain space-time analysis of the distribution of housing prices supports an increase in spatial inequality and polarisation at the neighbourhood level. Two spatially differentiated housing sub-markets of high- and low-priced housing are identified. The persistence and growth of spatial house price inequality has important societal implications for the wealth gap and segregation of rich and poor in cities.

Rethinking urban park accessibility in the context of demographic change: A population structure perspective

Rapid demographic change has reshaped the demand for and use of urban parks, profoundly affecting park accessibility inequities. In response to the need for park equity planning under demographic change, we have rethought the gaps in existing park accessibility research. In this study, we revisited and modified the two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) method, re-naming this method as the floatable supply and demand improved 2SFCA (FSD-2SFCA) method. The FSD-2SFCA method considers gaps in environmental preferences and travel abilities among population subgroups to better meet the needs of urban park planning based on demographic changes. Overall, the FSD-2SFCA method is robust, sensitive, flexible, and scalable. The method measured park accessibility in Higashiosaka City under existing and projected population dynamics (2020–2060). The results showed that spatial differences and inequalities in park accessibility exist in Higashiosaka City and that park accessibility inequities among age groups showed different trends as the population changed. In addition, park accessibility is generally the lowest and most inequitable for older adults. Our study highlights that in addressing demographic change, policymakers must consider present equitable distribution of parks and future park accessibility based on population projections to ensure equity-oriented, sustainable urban park planning.

Social and Spatial Inequalities during COVID-19: Evidence from France and the Need for a New Sustainable Urban and Regional Development Paradigm

This study examines the impact of social and spatial inequalities on the spread of COVID-19 and the efficacy of lockdown measures in French regions during the third wave (22 March and 3 May 2021), with a focus on population density and poverty. It based on data from French government websites, adopting quantitative methods including the Pearson Coefficient and One-Way ANOVA. The results indicate a significant correlation between population density and COVID-19 deaths in 92 departments (R = 0.695), which is stronger than the correlation between density and infection rates (R = 0.633, p < 0.001). In the 25 most affected departments, this pattern shifts, with a weaker correlation between density and deaths (R = 0.644) compared to density/infections (R = 0.716, p < 0.001). Although insightful, these statistics do not capture regional disparities. A minor correlation between poverty and death rates was recorded in French regions. Spatial observations showed that areas exceeding the national poverty average experienced higher infection/death rates. The lockdowns were effective, leading to a reduction (51.7%) in infections. The present results showed that there is a significant need for a new social contract based on a new urban and regional paradigm focused on socio-spatial equality and Sustainable Development Goals locally and globally, a vital task for policymakers, planners, and researchers.

Navigating Post-COVID-19 Social–Spatial Inequity: Unravelling the Nexus between Community Conditions, Social Perception, and Spatial Differentiation

The 2023 SDGs report underscores the prolonged disruption of COVID-19 on community living spaces, infrastructure, education, and income equality, exacerbating social and spatial inequality. Against the backdrop of the dual impact of significant events and the emergence of digital technologies, a coherent research trajectory is essential for characterizing social–spatial equity and understanding its influential factors within the urban planning discipline. While prior research emphasized spatial dimensions and mitigated spatial differentiation to ensure urban equity, the complexity of these interconnections necessitates a more comprehensive approach. This study adopts a holistic perspective, focusing on the “social–spatial” dynamics, utilizing social perception (sentiment maps) and spatial differentiation (housing prices index) pre- and post-pandemic to elucidate the interconnected and interactive nature of uneven development at the urban scale. It employs a multi-dimensional methodological framework integrating morphology analysis of housing conditions, GIS analysis of urban amenities, sentiment semantic analysis of public opinion, and multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) analysis of correlation influential factors. Using Suzhou, China, as a pilot study, this research demonstrates how these integrated methods complement each other, exploring how community conditions and resource distribution collectively bolster resilience, thereby maintaining social–spatial equity amidst pandemic disruptions. The findings reveal that uneven resource distribution exacerbates post-pandemic social stratification and spatial differentiation. The proximity of well-maintained ecological environments, such as parks or scenic landmarks, generally exhibits consistency and positive effects on “social–spatial” measurement. Simultaneously, various spatial elements influencing housing prices and social perception show geographic heterogeneity, particularly in areas farther from the central regions of Xiangcheng and Wujiang districts. This study uncovers a bilateral mechanism between social perception and spatial differentiation, aiming to delve into the interdependent relationship between social–spatial equity and built environmental factors. Furthermore, it aspires to provide meaningful references and recommendations for urban planning and regeneration policy formulation in the digital era to sustain social–spatial equity.

The spatial polarization of housing wealth accumulation across Spain

Housing wealth is central to structuring inequalities across societies. Processes of financialization have intensified the speculative nature of housing, while labour and welfare restructuring increase the importance of property wealth towards economic security. Housing, however, represents an exceptional asset given its inherently spatial nature and buy-in barriers. This implies that not only access to homeownership but where households enter the housing market is central to wealth trajectories. Spatial inequality in housing trends thus fundamentally structures wealth dynamics. While some scholarship has posited increasing housing market spatial polarization, there remains a lack of empirical evidence. This research turns to the context of Spain, to directly assess spatial polarization in housing value accumulation. Employing an innovative dataset at a detailed geographic scale, the analyses reveal strong increases in polarization across the national territory over the past decade. Strikingly, these dynamics appear resistant to major upheavals, including the post-GFC crash and Covid-19 impacts, and are robust across scales. The analyses reveal that more expensive areas saw greater absolute gains and higher rates of appreciation. The findings expose a structural intensification of spatial polarization and provide crucial empirical evidence of how the housing market acts in amplifying inequality through the spatial sorting of wealth accumulation.

The Healthy Ageing/Vulnerable Environment (HAVEN) Index: Measuring neighbourhood age‐friendliness

AbstractThis study describes the development and testing of the Healthy Ageing/Vulnerable Environment (HAVEN) Index, a prototype composite spatial index for South Australia that reflects an area’s age‐friendliness. The index incorporates over 40 indicator variables across six variable themes: income and employment; education; health and housing; social connectedness; geographic access; and physical environment. Based on the deficit accumulation approach, the modelling uses area‐level rather than individual‐level data and is compiled through quantitative geospatial methods. Analysis using the HAVEN Index of state‐wide mortality data and hospital emergency department (ED) presentations for Central Adelaide found that vulnerable areas were associated with a higher risk of mortality and ED presentation. Comparisons between the HAVEN Index and a widely used national area‐level measure of socio‐economic differences found that the HAVEN Index compares favourably and provides additional information about local areas, which can inform needs‐based approaches to support the reduction of spatial inequalities and the development of age‐friendly neighbourhoods.

Spatial inequality in prices and wages within a late‐developing economy: Serbia, 1863–1910

Spatial inequality in prices and wages within a late‐developing economy: Serbia, 1863–1910

Determinants of Income Inequality Sources among Women in Rural Oyo State, Nigeria

This paper applies the regression-based inequality decomposition approach to explore determinants of income inequality sources among women in rural Oyo State, Nigeria. A four-stage sampling procedure was used in the collection of primary data with purposive selection of two agricultural development programme zones in Oyo State of Nigeria. 150 respondents were eventually used for the study. Structured questionnaires and interview schedules were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Shapley decomposition approach. Age and household size of women were 35.5±1.06 years and 8.0±0.59 persons, respectively. Most respondents (88.0%) were married and 43.3% were farmers with income of N24,196.76±11,897.90 per month. Sources that largely explain inequality were primary occupation (0.5551), farm size (0.2523) and household assets (0.0766) and the relative contributions of these factors sum up to 80%. Total inequality computed by the Gini index was 0.2206 and it implies that the contribution of the predicted residual term to income inequality in this case was 22.06%.The marginal contribution of the estimated income sources of the weighted mean with no negative values from level 1 to 12 were primary occupation, educational level, workers per household, number of assets and location with weighted marginal contribution of 0.0125, 0.0120, 0.0105, 0.0071 and 0.0053 respectively. Narrowing the gap between those at the top and the bottom of income distribution will reduce inequality in the households and the nation at large and that is the more reason this study needs attention because within group components overwhelmingly accounted for inequality compared to the between group components. The role of spatial inequality and policies that encourage entrepreneurship training and non-formal education for women in rural areas would be inequality reducing, and would tend to be more effective if additional policy instruments are used to target other sources of measured income inequality.

Observations on status and trends of agricultural extension and inequality in Uganda

The global pandemic has accentuated inequalities, with vulnerable populations in developing countries fairing worst. In rural sub-Saharan Africa, restrictions on mobility to limit the spread of COVID-19 negatively impacted access to extension services and inputs by farmers. In response, countries deployed digital technologies to meet some of these challenges in the context of existing income, gender and spatial inequalities and historic declines in funding for public extension. Focusing on Uganda, which had one of the longest and strictest lockdowns, the paper used panel datasets of farmers from 2005 to 2019/2020 and found persistent socio-economic and gender inequalities in access to extension. Data from rapid rural surveys from 2020 to 2021 and a review of recent literature suggest these inequalities increased during the pandemic. The paper then builds on the structure and reforms of the current extension system to assess the potential of the digital services and their added value given the inequalities observed. The paper finds that the ability of government-led, inclusive, digital extension services is limited unless investments in extension are increased. In light of long-term declines in funding for extension, future research should focus on the effectiveness of policies to encourage private sector-led digital extension efforts to strengthen the pro-poor nature of agricultural growth.

The politics of authenticity: a lens for justice in design studios abroad?

Training students to detect and address spatial inequities is a priority for many educators of urban design. Yet cultivating an ethos of care in the studio is particularly challenging when focusing on foreign cities, a trend that internationalisation pressures in higher education continue to encourage. Is there a theoretical framework that can support teachers in instructing justice-centred studios abroad? This paper examines authenticity as one such possible framework. Interpreting authenticity as a socially constructed lens that forges people's ideas of what is real and what is fake, the AuthentiCITY studio was held at the Liverpool School of Architecture and focused on Venice. Students were encouraged to explore how constructions of ‘the authentic’ contribute to the oppression of marginalised people and to propose urbanisms that could assist those people in removing barriers to their self-empowerment. Interviews with students and analyses of their projects reveal that authenticity can facilitate three progressive steps of inquiry: theoretical (increasing students’ awareness of spatial injustices), programmatic (pointing to critical themes and sites of intervention), and practice-oriented (forming students’ willingness to deploy design as a force for social change in the future). At the same time, however, methodological shortcomings, employability pressures, and aestheticising trends have estranged some students, reproducing privileges in the classroom. The paper concludes by suggesting authenticity as a valid ally for theoretically framing studios abroad, especially in cities suffering from over-tourism. At the same time, recommendations are made for instructors to always interrogate their methods, share vulnerability with students, and counter hidden curricula of exclusion.

The nature, causes, and consequences of inter-regional inequality

Abstract Social scientists and policymakers alike have become increasingly concerned with understanding the nature, causes, and consequences of inter-regional inequality in economic living conditions. Contemporary spatial inequality is multi-faceted—it varies depending on how we define inequality, the scale at which it is measured, and which groups in the labor force are considered. Increasing economic inequality has important implications for broader social and political issues. Notably, it is difficult to account for the rise of far-right populism in industrialized countries without considering the context of growing inter-regional inequality. Important explanations for the rise in inter-regional inequality include changing patterns of worker and firm sorting processes across space, major transitions like the reorientation of the economy from manufacturing to digital technologies, and increasing global economic integration, as well as policy. Different causal explanations in turn imply a different role for place-based policy. This article introduces the context of the special issue on the nature, causes, and consequences of inter-regional inequality, focusing specifically on inequality in North America and Western Europe, and aims to identify challenges for, and spark further research on, inter-regional inequality.

Urban form and structure explain variability in spatial inequality of property flood risk among US counties

Understanding the relationship between urban form and structure and spatial inequality of property flood risk has been a longstanding challenge in urban planning and emergency management. Here we explore eight urban form and structure features to explain variability in spatial inequality of property flood risk among 2567 US counties. Using datasets related to human mobility and facility distribution, we identify notable variation in spatial inequality of property flood risk, particularly in coastline and metropolitan counties. The results reveal variations in spatial inequality of property flood risk can be explained based on principal components of development density, economic activity, and centrality and segregation. The classification and regression tree model further demonstrates how these principal components interact and form pathways that explain spatial inequality of property flood risk. The findings underscore the critical role of urban planning in mitigating flood risk inequality, offering valuable insights for crafting integrated strategies as urbanization progresses.

Measuring spatial inequality of urban park accessibility and utilisation: A case study of public housing developments in Auckland, New Zealand

Poor spatial accessibility of urban green spaces affects disadvantaged populations, who are at greater risk of socioeconomic related health inequalities. We analyse mobile phone locational data from the Auckland Region of New Zealand to connect a user's 'home' location to nearby urban parks, specifically focusing on public housing tenants - a highly vulnerable group at greater risk of health inequalities.We use a number of traditional accessibility measures and four new park utilisation analyses to explore the relationship between accessibility to urban parks, neighbourhood area deprivation, and user's patterns of actual park usage. We develop four new metrics to assist in understanding the actual utilisation of green spaces available to residents: distance between closest park available and visited (DAT), used park opportunities (UPO), locality of park visits (LPV), and nearest park visitation rate (NPVR).We found that neighbourhoods with the most public housing tend to have a lower number of parks accessible, and those that are accessible are smaller in size. Additionally, people living in these areas tend to travel farther to access urban parks compared to areas with no public housing. More deprived neighbourhoods were revealed to have lower accessibility to urban greens in Auckland, highlighting the urgency to address the emerging divisions in accessibility and opportunities for these neighbourhoods. Our findings have important implications for policy-makers and urban planners. Furthermore, the use of mobile phone locational data can reveal insights into the mobility behaviour of users and can be applied to other locations and population groups.

Further complications to poverty of place: daily poverty dynamics across space

AbstractIt is well established that living in a high‐poverty area often leads to lower levels of well‐being for residents. While these deleterious effects of place‐based poverty are well‐documented, the conceptual mechanisms linking poverty of place to negative outcomes remain debated, and the our understanding of the spatial patterning of poverty remains underdeveloped. In this paper, we problematize simple conceptualizations of the negative impacts of poverty exposure by illustrating the dynamic patterns poverty displays across cities on a daily basis. The vast majority of prior research on poverty of place has relied upon data anchored to place of residence. Thus, poverty rates broadly reflect poverty as it exists at night. This bias toward nighttime statistics leaves us with an incomplete understanding of spatial inequalities because daytime poverty rates can differ markedly from nighttime poverty rates due to work‐related commuting patterns. Here, we use novel data from the Census Transportation Planning Products to fully illustrate diurnal patterns in poverty at the census tract level in metropolitan America. Through a combination of descriptive, spatial, and statistical analyses, we show that the majority of census tracts experience changes in poverty throughout the day. Through a series of regression models, we also show that diurnal patterns in poverty are unevenly distributed along the lines of suburbanization, race, economic status, age composition, and industrial structure. Overall, our findings provide analytic insights into properly documenting poverty across space, while further problematizing lingering culture of poverty frameworks.

Approaches to spatial inequalities in a Nordic welfare state – the case of Norway

In this article, the position of the core ideas of equity and equal opportunities within the Nordic model of education today is problematized, using Norway as the case of interest and spatial dividing lines as the main variable in question. I am specifically preoccupied with geographical education differences as part of the ‘unequal opportunity problem’ in Nordic education. Focusing on spatial inequalities in education, something that is rarely addressed by educational authorities, brings light to the assertion that aims that used to be the foundation for the Norwegian education system, are harder to see as guiding principles in education policy today. Through highlighting this, the aim is also to contribute to a discussion of how research related to education in rural areas is situated in the Norwegian context, viewing this in light of Norway as a representative of the Nordic model of education. In the article understanding the agential doings behind the paradox of the Nordic education equality ethos on the one side and the persisting and empirically documented spatial education inequalities on the other, represents the analytic intake.

Evaluating spatial inequity in last-mile delivery: a national analysis

PurposeDespite large bodies of research related to the impacts of e-commerce on last-mile logistics and sustainability, there has been limited effort to evaluate urban freight using an equity lens. Therefore, this study proposes a modeling framework that enables researchers and planners to estimate the baseline equity performance of a major e-commerce platform and evaluate equity impacts of possible urban freight management strategies. The study also analyzes the sensitivity of various operational decisions to mitigate bias in the analysis.Design/methodology/approachThe model adapts empirical methodologies from activity-based modeling, transport equity evaluation, and residential freight trip generation (RFTG) to estimate person- and household-level delivery demand and cargo van traffic exposure in 41 U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs).FindingsEvaluating 12 measurements across varying population segments and spatial units, the study finds robust evidence for racial and socio-economic inequities in last-mile delivery for low-income and, especially, populations of color (POC). By the most conservative measurement, POC are exposed to roughly 35% more cargo van traffic than white populations on average, despite ordering less than half as many packages. The study explores the model’s utility by evaluating a simple scenario that finds marginal equity gains for urban freight management strategies that prioritize line-haul efficiency improvements over those improving intra-neighborhood circulations.Originality/valuePresents a first effort in building a modeling framework for more equitable decision-making in last-mile delivery operations and broader city planning.

Spatial equity of urban parks from the perspective of recreational opportunities and recreational environment quality: A case study in Singapore

Spatial equity in urban park recreational services can significantly contribute to sustainable urban planning. However, there are shortcomings in research comparing the spatial equity of different categories of parks and urban parks overall from the perspective of recreational opportunities and recreational environment quality available to residents across various neighborhoods. In this paper, emphasizing park access within a 10-minute walk, we proposed an evaluation system at the neighborhood level for regional parks, community parks, and urban parks overall (regional and community parks combined) from this under-researched perspective. Taking Singapore as a case study, the feasibility of this evaluation system has been verified. We applied Lorenz curve, Gini coefficient, locational entropy, and spatial autocorrelation analysis to compare the differences of horizontal spatial equity and spatial distribution patterns of different categories of parks and urban parks overall from the perspective of recreational opportunities and recreational environment quality. Results showed that the horizontal spatial inequity of recreational opportunities is higher than that of recreational environment quality with respect to regional parks, community parks, and urban parks overall. Compared with regional parks, community parks have a greater effect on improving the horizontal spatial equity of recreational opportunities and recreational environment quality of urban parks overall. Park recreational opportunities and recreational environment quality available to residents in each neighborhood have significant spatial accumulation patterns. The evaluation system and its application enable a more comprehensive assessment of the spatial distribution of neighborhood-level park recreational opportunities and recreational environment quality.

Creating transformational change in flood resilience strategies

AbstractFlood hazards are increasing as a result of climate change and growing urbanization. Research has shown that people who are socially vulnerable are more exposed to flood risk. Flood disadvantage that exists today is projected to continue in the future: it is stubborn. We present a bold new research agenda for exploring how different physical, social, institutional, and natural resources interact in urban areas to influence social opportunities over time. These interactions must be modeled to understand how the flood‐affected area is degraded, in terms of the functions it provides, as a result of varying levels and frequency of flood exposure. Nesting flood exposure within a wider functional view of urban environments enables a place‐based, systems approach to resilience. It reveals the underlying mechanisms—and potential remediations—for spatial inequalities. In doing so resilience strategies can be designed to transform the current trajectory of stubborn disadvantage to flooding.This article is categorized under: Engineering Water > Planning Water

Municipal Territoriality: The Impact of Centralized Mechanisms and Political and Structural Factors on Reducing Spatial Inequality

We explore two complementary mechanisms that are designed to work together to reduce spatial inequality—redrawing municipal borders and the redistribution of tax resources. This study’s methodology is based on the empirical analysis of 376 decisions of boundary commissions and permanent geographic commissions that resulted in land transfers and redistributed tax resources in Israel. Our findings indicate that the impact on spatial inequality is mixed. Over time, the amount of land transferred to low socio-economic municipalities has increased, provided that these municipalities are located in the center of the country, or have a Jewish ethnic majority, are politically affiliated with the Minister of the Interior and the ultra-Orthodox right, are financially sound, and have a large population and a large area. In contrast, the redistribution of tax resources provides revenue increases for low socio-economic municipalities that are in the periphery, largely populated by Arabs, are unaffiliated with powerful politicians, are financially weak and small in size and population.

Implementation of water energy food-health nexus in a climate constrained world: a review for South Africa

In recent years, the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus has gained significant attention in global research. Spatial inequality in water-energy-food security (WEF) and its impact on public health and how this is affected by climate change remains a grand adaptation challenge. South Africa is extremely vulnerable and exposed to the impacts of climate change due to its socio-economic and environmental context. While alternative nexus types have garnered interest, this paper pioneers an extension of the conventional WEF framework to encompass health, giving rise to the Water-Energy-Food-Health (WEF-H) nexus. Despite a plethora of WEF nexus studies focused on South Africa, a substantial knowledge gap persists due to the lack of a comprehensive overview of the enablers and barriers to realizing the WEF-H nexus. South Africa boasts diverse policies related to water, energy, food, and health; however, their alignment remains an ongoing challenge. This study seeks to bridge this critical gap by conducting an exhaustive review of existing literature. Its primary aim is to delve into the intricate mechanisms that either facilitate or impede the actualization of the WEF-H nexus in South Africa. By synthesizing insights from a wide array of literature sources, this research strives to illuminate the challenges and opportunities stemming from the integration of health considerations into the established WEF nexus framework. This exploration holds immense significance, not only for unraveling the multifaceted interactions between these pivotal sectors but also for guiding policy development and decision-making processes in South Africa towards a more holistic and sustainable approach to resource management.