Revision for Spatial Inequality
1.Definitions
Spatial inequality: Spatial inequality is the unequal distribution in goods or services
depending on the area or location.
Gentrification: the process of renovating and improving a house or district so that it
conforms to middle-class taste.
Urban sprawl: Where population growth has caused expansion outwards in size with the
creation of low density housing
Urban decline: where an area that once had many factories and workers close up and
relocate to other areas and the area is left to decay.
Urban renewal: the rejuvenation of urban areas that have fallen into urban decay. Turning
old factories and warehouses into offices, shops and units.
Urban consolidation: the redevelopment of parts of a city to achieve a higher population
density, characterised by high rise apartments
(building apartments, 2036, 2million more people living in Sydney)
Poverty line (the amount of money that the government thinks an individual or family can
live in) pp.224
SEIFA (Socio Economic Indexes for Areas)
Newstart allowance – money the government will give to an unemployed person
Single person $400 a fortnight / Family $800 a fortnight
Spatial pattern of advantage/disadvantage
Relative/absolute poverty
2.Issue that has changed a suburb
Issue: Alcohol fuelled violence in King’s Cross
How is it solved: New laws government intervention after appeals from groups such as the
Thomas Kelly Foundation
What changes did it introduce: hours changing–lockout laws(Liquor Amendment Act 2014)
Evaluate the effectiveness of the lockout laws
The laws have been effective because they have reduced the amount of alcohol fuelled violence in King’s Cross
by 50%, however, the areas outside the lockout area violence has increased by 12% and … --->
Is it effective? What was the effect of these laws. Look at both sides of the
argument….Whilst
The issue with King’s Cross is that with the closing of businesses, developers will move in
and push out people who cannot afford to live there. Rents will increase and public housing
residents will be pushed out. This will put more pressure on Wayside Chapel and other
charities for homeless people in the area
3.SEIFA
Socio Economic Indexes for Areas. The Australian Bureau of statistics creates this to broadly
define levels of advantage and disadvantage in terms of people’s access to material & social
resources, and ability to participate in society.
Look at PP on Google classroom
Four indexes used to measure a suburbs advantage:
Index of Relative Socio-Economic Disadvantage
Index of Relative Socio-Economic Advantage & Disadvantage
Index of Economic Resources
Index of Education & Occupation
The higher the SEIFA score the lower a level of disadvantage
Disadvantage can be represented by low income, low educational attainment, high
unemployment and jobs in unskilled occupations.
Eg Wahroonga is 1120 and Auburn is 916
What is the pattern of spatial advantage?
The south and south west have the greatest area of disadvantage in Sydney. The northern
suburbs and suburbs located near waterways and close to the city have the greatest
advantage.
WHY?
Land prices/cost of housing connected to income.
More public housing in the nsw of Sydney
Younger families live out here..less income as one parent might not work or works part time
Schooling: less education choices/quality of education/intergenerational habits- unskilled
parents or tradespeople will have children in these areas. Lack of appreciation of the
importance of education at a tertiary level.
Many people in these areas are NESB. language barriers
Manufacturing jobs located out west-unskilled workers/less pay
Intergenerational poverty some families have never worked/
grandparents/parents/children/welfare dependent.
Higher rates of single mothers/parents
Gentrification of inner city areas- public housing people pushed out.
- Globalisation and spatial inequality
- Changes in the work environment
- Casual work
- Falling union membership
- The cycle of disadvantage
- Geographical location
- Housing costs and affordability
Notes
Sydney provides an example of a large urban environment with a high level of spatial
inequality. Suburban pockets of poverty can be found on the city's fringes, in certain parts of
Sydney's south-west for example, and there are also pockets of poverty in much more
central areas. The less-affluent (poorer) areas are generally higher in unemployment,
welfare-dependency, single-parent families, substance (drug and alcohol) abuse and crime,
than other Sydney suburbs. These are also often the areas in which overseas migrants and
refugees chose to settle, because the real estate is much cheaper and the ethnic and racial
composition is generally more diverse.
Unemployment figures from the 2011 Census revealed vast differences between many
areas of Australia. Particularly alarming were certain areas of Sydney. The Glenquarie
Housing Commission Estate in Sydney's south-west had an unemployment rate of 26.4 per
cent; the national unemployment rate at that time was only 5.1 per cent. The highly
publicised riots which occurred in this same area were an example of some of the violencerelated problems that can result if social inequalities are not dealt with.
Spatial Inequality
Spatial inequality is the unequal distribution in goods or services depending on the area or
location. The services such as medical or welfare will have even more skills and more range
of services. The space within the different locations is the clustering of various groups of
people who share similar financial situations.
Spatial inequality happens because of various reasons, such as religion and other
discriminative views. Women in society still are paid less than the average male income
despite suffrage and equal rights in the workforce. Spatial inequality is the differences and
injustices in communities e.g. income, occupation, housing and uneven access to facilities
and infrastructure e.g. hospitals, schools and public transport
The split in Sydney's society is between the north and north east to the south and south
west. In the South and south west there is more chance of inequality as it is further from the
city and facilities. Land prices are also cheaper attracting residents of lower socio-economic
status. Access to public transport is fairly limited and employment options can also be
restricted. Those residents of the north and north east suburbs of Sydney have much higher
``attention. Land prices are higher as a result and therefore residents tend to have a much
higher socio-economic status. Access to employment is also much higher as the proximity to
Sydney CBD (Central Business District) is much closer than for those residents in south-west
Sydney suburbs.
Why is spatial inequality an issue?
Taking a spatial approach involves comparing two different geographical areas in relation to
a particular variable. The aim of this approach is to detect inequalities between different
areas and to then find ways of amending these inequalities, thereby making distribution of
resources and services more equitable (even) between populations.