Intra-urban inequalities. Insights from six Southern European Cities

Abstract

Available evidence suggests that inequalities are widening across the world and that there is a clear relationship between urban growth and spatial inequalities (Baum-Snow et al., 2020; OECD, 2020). The patterns of inequalities within cities are influenced by the interplay of a wide range of factors, such as socio-economic conditions, land-use, housing, transport and mobility, or environmental risks (Akyelken, 2020; Galster and Sharkey, 2017; Hamnett, 2021; Nijman and Wei, 2020). Despite the efforts of welfare policies to reduce these inequalities in different European countries, deprived, marginal neighborhoods are still a striking reality in most cities, especially in those of the Southern regions. This situation is aggravated in many cities where policymakers lack the appropriate knowledge and instruments to identify and measure inequalities within urban areas (Shi and Dorling, 2020; Tonkiss, 2020). Internationally, numerous projects have shown the potential of spatial analysis to better understand urban inequalities (e.g., ‘UsPLIFT’, ‘GOLD’, ‘Mapping Inequality’ or ‘Atlas of Inequality’). This poster constitutes a preliminary outcome of a research project that aspires to help policymakers create more equal and inclusive cities. Based on a first round of data gathering and through a quantitative analysis, it aims to answer the following question: what challenges are faced when using mapping as a tool for identifying intra-urban inequalities in Southern European cities? For that purpose, the poster displays different cartographic information regarding the new forms of spatial inequalities within the urban areas of Athens (Greece), Barcelona (Spain), Lisbon (Portugal), Marseille (France), Naples and Palermo (Italy). It throws light on different analytic aspects (e.g., demographic trends, living standards, access to transport, sustainable mobility and urban resources) and supports the develop an urban inequality index. Further research steps will capitalize on these outputs to provide policymakers with innovative planning tools and effective land-use guidelines to improve spatial equity in Southern European regions.