Preliminary communication
Residential segregation and inequalities in living conditions
Slobodan Bjelajac
; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Split, Split, Croatia
Abstract
The main purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the connection between residential segregation in urban areas and the differences that occur between socially segregated parts of the city with regard to living conditions. Living conditions are defined by the indicators of residential and ecological conditions (amount of square metres of area for satisfying the different needs of the population as well as the ecological conditions of the surroundings). This analysis indicates that a socially segregated city essentially influences living conditions. The inhabitants of lower social segregated parts live in worse conditions compared with the population from higher social types that live in better conditions. (The city was divided into five types of socially segregated zones as follows: „Slum“, „Semi-slum“, „Standard type“, „Semi-elite type“and „Elite type“). This causes a more intensive exploitation of the lower social strata. Therefore, the planning process should be differentially oriented towards the gentrification of the city. The relation between segregation and the differentiation in living conditions is not, however, complete with the impact of the first on the second one, but is the reverse as well. The quality of living condition has an important impact on the social segregation of the city. This is because the different social strata of population, due to differences in the possibility of choice, can or cannot choose a part of the city with regard to its quality.
Keywords
ecological handicap; gentrification; quality of life; residential segregation; planning
Hrčak ID:
136152
URI
Publication date:
11.2.2008.
Visits: 2.228 *