Segregation, Urban Poverty
and Deprivation
IB Geography II
PART 1: RESIDENTIAL
SEGREGATION
Residential Patterns in Rich
Countries
• Residential Segregation: the physical
separation of population by culture,
income or other criteria.
– Common in all cities
– Intensity depends on the differences
between the guest and hosts.
The Causes of Residential
Segregation Are:
• Socioeconomic
Status
• Ethnicity
Socio-economic Status
• In Western societies, socioeconomic
status is determined largely by income
and employment
Ethnicity
• The cultural differences between
immigrants and existing residents
often lead to difficulties in
communication, which can result in
segregation.
PART 2: URBAN POVERTY
AND DEPRIVATION
Deprivation
• Within most cities, there is considerable
variation in quality of life.
• “Poor” Areas are zones of deprivation,
poverty and exclusion.
• MEDCs: inner-city areas/ghettos
• LEDCs: Shanty towns/slums
Measuring Deprivation
• Indices Used to Measure Deprivation:
– Physical Indicators: quality of housing,
levels of pollution, incidence of crime,
vandalism, graffiti
– Social Indicators: Crime (or fear of) levels of
and access to health, standards of education.
– Economic Indicators: access to
employment, unemployment,
underemployment, levels of income
– Political Indicators: opportunities to vote
Squatter Settlements
Residential areas which have developed without legal
claims to the land and/or permission from the concerned
authorities to build; as a result of their illegal or semi-legal
status, infrastructure and services are usually inadequate.
30% of the urban population of the world live in squatter
settlements. 1 billion people! By 2050 it will be 2 billion!
This animation shows how squatter settlements are
upgraded over time.
http://www.sln.org.uk/geography/geoweb/blowmedown/shanty05.swf
Caracas - Venezuela
Rocinha – Rio de
Janeiro Brazil
Dharavi, Mumbai
Slum Living
• Positive Aspects
– Points of Assimilation
for Immigrants
– Informal entrepreneurs
can work here
– Informal employment
at home (no commute)
– Strong sense of
kinship (family
support)
– Crime rates are
relatively low.
• Negative Aspects
– Security of tenure is
often lacking
– Basic services are
absent (water and
sanitation)
– Overcrowding
– Sites are often
hazardous
– Levels of hygiene and
sanitation are poor and
disease is common.
Watch Richard Neuwirth’s TED presentation on
his book Shadow Cities (14 min)
He presents an empathic
and positive view of squatter
settlements and their role in
modern cities.
http://www.ted.com/talk
s/robert_neuwirth_on_o
ur_shadow_cities.html
Is it possible that squatter settlements, shanty
towns, bustees, favelas, slums are part of the
solution?
Or perhaps is it true that they are a potent symbol
of the failure of society to address the basic
needs of the majority and it must be the
responsibility of the public sector to provide
housing for its citizens?
Slums of hope or slums of despair?
Discuss in elbow partners!