(Re)Viewing Ethnic Residential Segregation in Southern European Cities: Housing and Urban Regimes as Mechanisms of Marginalisation

Housing and residential marginalisation in Southern European cities represents the most critical and controversial of urban conditions for the settlement and inclusion of immigrants. However, these issues are conspicuously under-researched in both the international and Southern European comparative literature. The complexity of ethnic housing hardship and segregation is often de-problematised and misleadingly attributed solely to market mechanisms or inevitable polarisation dynamics. This paper reviews the distinctive features of ethnic residential segregation within wider societal and urban contexts, drawing on an analysis of eight Mediterranean cities with a special focus on the role of housing systems and processes of ethnic and social differentiation. Problems and drivers are reconceptualised within an holistic, comparative framework. It is demonstrated that low levels of ethnic spatial segregation conceal a real problem of social residential marginalisation. This paradox predominantly originates from macro-scale mechanisms of differentiation rooted in the welfare redistributive arrangements and dualist housing systems. It is additionally reinforced by current urban renewal strategies.     

Unstable Immigrant Concentrations in Amsterdam: Spatial Segregation and Integration of Newcomers

Watching the profound changes in the last decades in virtually any big city in Western Europe in the field of migration, minority and ethnicity, many national and urban governments in Europe fear for large spatial concentrations of immigrants who originate from non-industrialised countries. The basic assumption behind that attitude seems to be that large concentrations of (ethnic) immigrants would prevent their full integration and thus participation in society. Such a risk of insufficient integration would particularly be great when the immigrant population occupies the lower positions of the socio-economic ladder. However, two things should be investigated with care. First, what are the actual explanations for the social and spatial divisions that are encountered in cities? What does that imply for the (spatial) inequality in Dutch cities? Second, what can be said about the effects of recent changes that can be observed with respect to the explanatory dimensions in the Dutch context? How do these compare to the actual size and stability over recent years of the spatial patterns of immigrants? Popular images of the processes of immigration describe the development of 'ethnic ghettos'. These would particularly develop where state intervention in the spheres of housing and in many other spheres is small or, as in the Netherlands, is declining. This paper investigates whether that view does justice to the actual development, applying micro-level data on immigrant settlement patterns in the city of Amsterdam over the period 1994-99. It is argued that ethnic residential concentrations tend not to be stable and are just growing areal units, but many changes can be shown, which may reflect processes of housing careers and of integration in society.     

Settlement and housing experiences of recent immigrants in small- and mid-sized cities in the interior of British Columbia (Canada)

Relatively little is known about immigrants’ settlement experiences in small- and mid-sized Canadian cities, including their access to local services and their housing experiences and outcomes—both of which are key factors in successful integration. This study considered immigrants’ settlement experiences, including their access to local services and their housing experiences and outcomes, in the cities of Kelowna and Kamloops, with a focus on the housing rental market, and reliance on community services. The results of the study include recommendations for improving immigrants’ settlement and integration in urban areas in the interior of British Columbia. Survey data were gathered between April and August 2015 from 80 recent immigrant renters in the cities of Kelowna (40) and in Kamloops (40). Findings suggest that immigrants find their housing more difficult than anticipated, largely due to unexpectedly high costs and unfamiliarity with the Canadian housing system. Few immigrants in either city relied on local community organizations or government-sponsored ones to find a place to live and/or a job upon arrival in Kelowna or Kamloops, although those who did found them very helpful. Immigrants relied mostly on their family and friends for initial assistance, but would have preferred to have received more information prior to or on their arrival. They recommended that settlement and housing services offer more direct assistance to new immigrants. For policies to succeed in attracting and retaining immigrants to these cities in British Columbia’s interior depends on the presence of (a) more subsidized/affordable housing; (b) job opportunities that match immigrants’ qualifications and that offer an adequate income; and (c) quality services and programs to integrate new immigrants into the community.     

Residential Experiences and the Culture of Suburbanization: A Case Study of Portuguese Homebuyers in Mississauga

This paper examines the housing experiences of immigrants to Canada through a survey of first-generation Portuguese homebuyers in Mississauga, a suburb of Toronto. The survey focused on the push/pull factors leading to their decision to live in the suburbs, their housing search strategies, and their use of services in Mississauga and in the initial area of Portuguese immigrant settlement in downtown Toronto. This study uses data from a questionnaire administered to 110 Portuguese homebuyers in 1990, shortly after their first move to suburban Mississauga; a sample of those respondents were re-interviewed in 2003. The evidence indicates that these immigrants were ‘pulled’ into relocating to Mississauga because of their desire to live in a single-family dwelling in a good neighbourhood. Their housing search relied extensively on ethnic sources of information, particularly Portuguese real estate agents. In general, this group of immigrants expressed satisfaction with their move. The Portuguese community in Mississauga is characterized by a form of voluntary segregation, which seems to be partly a result of their reliance on their own ethnic community for information, language barriers to participating in non-Portuguese activities, and a cultural preference for living near people of the same ethnic background. One consequence of this re-segregation process, by which Portuguese people recreate a Portuguese ‘homeland’ in the suburbs, has been the limitation of their social contacts with members of other ethnic communities that have also settled in suburban Mississauga.     

Spatial assimilation? The development in immigrants’ residential career with duration of stay in Denmark

Many studies have shown that immigrants’ residential situation differs from that of natives and that factors other than housing needs and financial situation influence immigrants’ options and choices concerning housing and neighbourhood. Research has indicated that immigrants might have a stronger preference for renting due to insecurity about their future situation and that especially newly arrived immigrants tend to live in immigrant-dense, so-called multi-ethnic, neighbourhoods. However, the spatial assimilation theory claims that in the course of time immigrants will move to other kinds of housing and neighbourhoods. In this paper, the residential careers of immigrants in the first years after their arrival are examined and compared with Danes. The hypothesis tested is that over time the housing situation of immigrants gets closer to the comparable one for Danes. It is a longitudinal study based on data from 1985 to 2008 on non-Western immigrants in Denmark. The results show that non-Western immigrants steadily increased their presence in social housing and multi-ethnic neighbourhoods during their first 10 years of stay; then, their presence stagnates; and after 15 years, it declines. Part of the initial increase in the frequency of living in multi-ethnic neighbourhoods was not due to individual choices among immigrants but could be ascribed to the increasing number of multi-ethnic neighbourhoods over time. The study confirms spatial assimilation, also when controlling for degree of economic integration, but the change was not dramatic over the 24 years covered by the study.     

Housing supply and residential segregation in Ireland

The article examines the role of housing supply in ethnic diversity and the residential segregation of Asian, African and eastern European immigrants from Irish nationals in Ireland. Housing supply is defined as the proportions of new housing, private rental accommodation and social housing among all housing units in an electoral district. Multivariate regressions reveal that, among all three housing supply variables, the proportion of private rentals had the largest effect on ethnic diversity and immigrant— Irish segregation. Areas with higher proportions of private rental units were more ethnically diverse, had greater presences of Africans, Asians and eastern Europeans (as opposed to high concentrations of Irish nationals) and exhibited greater integration between each of the three immigrant groups and Irish nationals. The article concludes with a discussion of immigrant assimilation and questions whether the patterns of residential integration observed would further facilitate other forms of social inclusion for immigrants in Irish society.     

Housing policy and the ethnic mix in Helsinki,Finland: perceptions of city officials and Somali immigrants

Helsinki provides an interesting case for the comparison of European mixing policies, as it has a relatively short history as a city of immigration. In contrast to prevailing desegregation policies of many other European countries, mixing policies in Helsinki are more of a preventive nature. In this article, we aim to examine how these policies are constructed and what kinds of reasons and explanations are given for the official policy goals and their implementation. Interviews with Somali immigrants are used as empirical evidence to confront policy assumptions and to get more insight into the factors causing ethnic residential segregation in Helsinki. The study shows that the local policies have been largely influenced by international debates on ethnic segregation, and therefore they have lacked an adequate understanding of the causes and effects of segregation in the local context. While the policy goals of ethnic mixing have been rather precise, tools for implementation have also been lacking. The case of Somalis illustrates that processes of residential segregation are more complex and dynamic than what is pictured in policy documents.     

Barriers and outcomes in the housing searches of new immigrants and refugees: a case study of “Black” Africans in Toronto’s rental market

Toronto is Canada’s main port of entry for new immigrants and refugees as well as the country’s most culturally diverse city. It is also one of the most expensive housing markets in Canada. This study examines the housing experiences of three relatively recent, Portuguese-speaking African immigrant groups—the Angolans, the Mozambicans, and the Cape Verdeans—in Toronto’s rental market, by examining their settlement experiences and housing search processes, as well as the outcomes of those searches. The evidence indicates that most respondents experienced discrimination by landlords in their housing search (this was less of a problem for the Cape Verdeans, who have a lighter skin colour). Both Angolans and Mozambicans encountered significant barriers in locating and securing affordable housing in a suitable neighbourhood. The study also examines their relations with the established white Portuguese community. Clearly, race (the colour of one’s skin) still matters in Toronto’s rental housing market. Racism—whether real or perceived—can result in social exclusion and housing segregation of immigrant groups in low-income neighbourhoods, and thus a slower integration of newcomers into Canadian society. This study points to the need for more comparative studies on visible and non-visible minorities, including newcomers from Africa (whether English-, French-, Spanish-, or Portuguese-speaking), to understand why certain groups are more successful than others in finding affordable housing in a neighbourhood of their choice.     

Housing Attainment of Immigrants from the former Soviet Union in Israel: A Cost/Benefit Approach

The present study examines the extent that national housing policy and demographic and human capital factors affect the odds of homeownership and quality of housing. A cost/benefit theoretical conceptualization with a sample of 19 000 Russian immigrants who arrived in Israel in 1989-90 was used to examine how the benefits of homeownership (location, size and pricing) 'stood against' a set of costs (commuting time required, housing age and size). A set of demographic and human capital factors were employed to control for socio-economic effects such as age, gender, family size, labour force participation and occupational status. The benefits of homeownership for immigrants in Israel also proved to involve some costs: migrating to smaller localities and commuting to metropolitan areas where occupational opportunities are higher. The findings suggest that while homeownership is widespread, it imposes a burden on new immigrants as well. This implies that social policy with regard to housing, especially low-priced housing, should consider the possibility of expanding public and market services in an appropriate way that will increase social inclusion and lessen the likelihood of structural segregation.     

The spatial comfort of social housing units in the post-socialist period in Serbia in relation to the applicable architectural norms

The national economic and political conditions of a country inevitably affect the development of its social housing sector. However, in order to prevent social exclusion, the quality of social housing has to at least be similar to the national average quality. As the practice of social housing in Serbia is still in its early stages, and the norms for this type of housing have only applied since 2013, this research strives to influence the formation of a more complete basis for the development of contemporary social housing models in Serbia, with the aim of improving the quality of social housing and achieving the prevailing housing quality in the country. A comparative analysis of the norms defined for social housing and those defined for market housing, as well as the results from the last census concerning the average housing area per member in Serbia, were used to define the position of social housing in comparison to other types of housing in the country. The analysis pointed out that the spatial comfort of social housing units is lower than other forms of housing in the country. In addition to which the unit area and the individual rooms are inadequately defined by the current social housing standard. The second part of the research, which is based on relevant architectural recommendations regarding the functional minimum regarding spatial comfort of the apartment units, aims to point out the necessary minimum of the housing space. The results of this research define recommendations for the minimum spatial comfort of social housing units: 1) the minimum floor area per member; and 2) the minimum floor area and width of the individual rooms.     

寻求社会公正与融合的可持续途径:荷兰社会住宅的发展与现状

作为世界上住房保障制度最为完善的国家之一,荷兰自20世纪初期以来长期重视社会住宅,即公有出租的保障性住房的规划和建设,将其作为解决城市住房问题、促进社会公正的主要方式,并根据社会经济背景的变化对其发展政策和策略进行合理的调整.与此同时,荷兰也已将社会住宅的规划建设作为解决社会问题,特别是克服不同收入阶层与种族间的居住空间隔离问题,促进社会融合的重要手段之一.本文将结合政策与实例分析对荷兰社会住宅发展进行具体探讨,以期对我国目前的保障性住房规划建设提供借鉴.     

Spatial Assimilation in Denmark? Why do Immigrants Move to and from Multi-ethnic Neighbourhoods?

In most European countries ethnic minorities have had a tendency to settle in certain parts of cities—and often in social housing—together with other immigrants in so-called multi-ethnic neighbourhoods. An explanation for this could be low income combined with lack of knowledge of the housing market and discrimination, which limits the housing possibilities for ethnic minorities. Another explanation could be that for different reasons immigrants choose to settle in so-called ethnic enclaves where they can find an ethnic social network, which can support them in their new country. In traditional research literature about immigration it has been shown that for many immigrants living in enclaves has been a temporary situation. The ‘spatial assimilation theory’ says that this situation ends when the family has become more integrated in the new society and then moves to another part of the city. This paper provides evidence to support both explanations of why ethnic minorities move to and from multi-ethnic neighbourhoods.     

Redifferentiation of the Urban Housing Stock in the Netherlands: A Strategy to Prevent Spatial Segregation?

In advanced countries the issue of spatial segregation is perceived as a major problem. In many urban neighbourhoods spatial concentrations of social insecurity, criminality and vandalism can be observed. The political challenge is to improve the quality of life in cities; a strategy has been adopted in several countries to promote mixed-income urban areas (Turner, 1997). Since 1995, the Dutch government has gradually become aware of the looming threat of spatial segregation. Measures are now being taken to prevent low-income districts from taking root. The state argues that the restructuring of urban districts and the redifferentiation of the urban housing stock are tools that will prevent spatial segregation. This paper presents the current public policies in the Netherlands which are designed to prevent spatial segregation, gives some background and discusses policy ambitions and their possible impacts in a critical way.     

ACHIEVING MIXED INCOME COMMUNITIES THROUGH INFILL? THE EFFECT OF INFILL HOUSING ON NEIGHBORHOOD INCOME DIVERSITY

This study analyzes whether residential infill development promotes mixed income communities in the Orlando metropolitan area from 1990 to 2009. Compact development and more diverse housing options realized through infill can alleviate spatial segregation and promote social diversity in communities by attracting diverse new residents into the neighborhood. However, as infill housing reflects neighborhood conditions, the impacts of infill housing on neighborhood income diversity vary depending on neighborhood types. The results show that infill development is only positively associated with neighborhood income diversity in gentrifying communities. Therefore, a more direct guideline or incentive program for infill, which can ensure a broad range of housing prices in infill development, should be implemented to promote mixed income communities through infill.     

Contested incrementalism: Elemental’sQuinta Monroy settlement fifteen years on

Quinta Monroy is an award-winning co-designed settlement for 93 families on half a hectare of land at Iquique in northern Chile. Neighbors’ complaints about the disorderly settlement peaked after the landowner’s death and provoked untenured residents to seek government subsidies to redevelop the settlement. From 2003, a government social housing project was coordinated by the “Elemental” architecture firm with US$10,000 per household. With the resident’s temporary relocation, 93 modular and interlinked apartments were built around a series of courtyards. These apartments, which were designed as “half-houses,” were subsequently co-opted by residents adding rooms in locations planned in advance by Elemental. Many households have since doubled the size of their apartment and reformed the settlement in ways not anticipated by Elemental. This paper details a spatial and ethnographic study of the Quinta Monroy settlement since redevelopment to identify opportunities and risks that accompany this type of social housing model. The study reveals evidence that residents’ capacities to enlarge apartments commonly exceeds the architect’s expectations and that unregulated expansions often compromise the settlement’s livability. This research anticipates further opportunities for expansion in this semi-regulated settlement and investigates possibilities that another contested slum settlement may emerge.     

The “Xochimilco model” for managing irregular settlements in conservation land in Mexico City

Mexico City has long been known as one of the world’s largest mega-cities. Although, the city’s growth rates have slowed since the 1980s, this process is not manifested evenly in spatial terms. Peripheral municipalities continue to grow at higher rates, including those municipalities in the southern part of the Federal District that contain its remaining conservation land. This growth is largely, but not exclusively, driven by the ongoing search for housing among lower-income households in the form of irregular settlement. Over time, this incremental pattern of settlement expansion has fragmented conservation land and impaired its ecological functioning. Given their role in land use planning with the reintroduction of elected local governments in the Federal District in 1997, this situation has placed municipalities quite literally at the “frontlines” of this planning and sustainability challenge. This paper examines the approach for managing land use regularization processes related to irregular settlement in conservation land adopted by the municipality of Xochimilco in its 2005 urban development plan, with reference to the experience of a specific case study community. Based on a series of interviews with residents and planning officials, the paper documents the highly-negotiated nature of “normative” planning that focuses on mitigating the impact of settlement in the conservation zone rather than stopping it completely. Given the enormous social pressures to access land for housing, the paper concludes that realistic efforts to preserve the remaining conservation land must involve a more comprehensive approach that better integrates environmental and social equity issues within and among municipal and upper-levels of government.     

Explaining Ethnic Residential Preferences—The Case of Somalis and Russians in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area

This paper contributes to the discussion on ethnic segregation processes by examining the ethnic residential preferences of two immigrant groups in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area (HMA): Somalis and Russians. The relatively recent increase in ethnic diversity and the active policies aiming for social and ethnic mixing provide an interesting environment for studying the subject in the HMA. Ethnic residential preferences have traditionally been viewed in strong connection with the immigrant's relations to his or her own ethnic community. The case of Somalis and Russians in the HMA indicates that in the ethnically mixed setting, minority–majority relations have a significant role in the formation of ethnic residential preferences. The paper is based on in-depth interviews with the Somali (n = 24) and Russian (n = 26) immigrants, social workers and housing authority personnel (n = 18).     

Identifying local determinants of destination choices of international immigrants to the Madrid metropolitan area

We examine the local determinants of destination choices of foreign immigrants to the Madrid metro area using data for 2005 and 2009 from the Spanish annual municipal‐level registers of inhabitants. Taking advantage of the equivalence relation between conditional logit and Poisson, we estimate a location‐choice model using the Poisson fixed‐effects estimator. Origin‐destination fixed effects are incorporated to account for the persistent spatial structure of the immigrants' settlement patterns and to control for potential violations of the independence of irrelevant alternatives (IIA) assumption. The Poisson regression model is estimated for seven different groups of immigrants according to world regions or countries of origin. Our modelling strategy has important empirical implications, with magnitudes and/or signs of the estimated coefficients changing in the expected directions. It is found that newly arriving immigrants tend to settle in low‐to‐middle‐income locations in the suburban reaches of the Madrid metro area. Moreover, the effects of the size of local communities of established immigrants are found to be insignificant and even negative in several instances, reflecting hetero‐local settlement preferences and/or the saturation of local networks causing in‐group job rivalry, respectively.     

Residential segregation of ethnic groups in West German cities

Research focused on immigrants in German cities has shown that ethnic minorities have a clear tendency towards segregation and spatial concentration in specific urban areas. Unlike the immigrant enclaves in North American cities these neighbourhoods cannot be termed ‘ghettos’. Yet today one of the most controversial political issues in West German cities is the likelihood of ethnic ghetto formation. There is general agreement amongst planners and politicians that such a development should be prevented as it will hinder future integration. This article will: consider the conditions of labour immigrants and their families in West German cities; review the development of these conditions, especially in the last 15 years; and explain, as far as possible, the geographical concentration and segregation of immigrants, examining policies for integration.