Social and economic issues associated with urbanisation

• Why do the poor and the wealthy tend to concentrate spatially? (a form of social segregation related to economic inequality) (CAUSES)

  • Reasons related to housing
  • Reasons related to neighbourhoods/ physical env
  • Reasons related to ethnic influences
• CAUSES related to housing:

  • rent cost for housing
  • Space available - outer city/ suburbs more expensive and spread out than inner city which is more cramped and often poorer immigrants
  • reputation
  • lack of affordable housing
  • wealthier choose where to live - areas with better schools, services, developments etc
  • developers target specific markets
• CAUSES related to neighbourhoods/ physical env:

  • reputation - some areas are known for gangs and dereliction so the wealthy move away and the poor move in
  • council vs private properties
  • gentrification
  • converting large houses into flats - changes the feel of the area
  • UDCS, City Challenge, urban regeneration policies
  • counter and suburbanisation leave de area in the inner city
• CAUSES related to ethnic influences:

  • different diaspora (ethnic groups) come to the country as new immigrants
  • discrimination - low paid jobs, zero hour contracts etc so can only afford cheap housing - clustering in poorer areas
• Cultural diversity:

  • refers to the existence of a variety of cultural and ethnic groups within a society
  • term 'ghetto' used in the USA to describe an area of a city where the population is almost made up of an ethnic group, often poorer area

  Social segregation:

  • groups of people living apart from the larger population due to factors such as wealth, ethnicity, religion, age etc
• What can cause ethnic segregation?

  - groups of different ethnicities (diaspora) may choose to self-segregate or may be influenced by external factors and become segregated
• CAUSES of ethnic segregation - self-segregation:

  • support and security of living near friends and relatives within a community
  • specialist facilities such as places of worship and food shops
  • protection against racial abuse and attacks from the majority populations
  • maintenance of culture and traditions made possible by living in close proximity to one another
• CAUSES of ethnic segregation - external factors:

  • hostility from the dominant population
  • discrimination in access to local authority housing
  • unsuccessful in securing a mortgage
  • 'white flight'
  • traditionally migrants forced to live in areas of cheap housing as they were a cheap source of labour
• EXAMPLE: Belfast social segregation:

  • 20 miles of 'peace wall' to separate protestant and catholic tensions
  • increase in Catholic and decrease in protestant - Catholic younger population but protestant ageing population
  • the wall protect people's safety, identity and culture and without wall there would be violence, conflict and riots
  • but leads to increased segregation
• EXAMPLE: Southampton -Polish immigration- Positive influences:

  • Hard work and initiative brought growing prosperity
  • Helped local food shops keep running
  • Injected new life and culture into the area
  • Economically active
  • Improved school results
  • Young population so low impact on hospitals
  • New businesses
  • Employed so pay tax
• EXAMPLE: Southampton - Polish immigration - Negative influences:

  • Original population feels excluded by language and culture
  • Loss of jobs for locals
  • Shortage of housing
  • Public services struggling e.g schools, transport
  • Stresses on sewage and waste systems
• London - economic inequality

  • London has experienced an influx of 'super-rich' (wealthy immigrants)
  • London is home to 100 billionaires and 5000 super-rich
  • Property purchased by rich abroad investors to cover illegals ways to make money - inflate property prices
• Alphacity


  London has become a grasping political and economic machine
• Alphahoods


  • Exclusive gated communities where super-rich congregate e.g Kensington Palace Gardens
• Graduates


  Would be considered victims of alphacity as they can't afford to get properties, they struggle even though they are well-paid professionals - go elsewhere - brain drain