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:
• Socio-
economic
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 • Negative Aspects
– Points of Assimilation – Security of tenure is
for Immigrants often lacking
– Informal entrepreneurs – Basic services are
can work here absent (water and
– Informal employment sanitation)
at home (no commute) – Overcrowding
– Strong sense of – Sites are often
kinship (family hazardous
support) – Levels of hygiene and
– Crime rates are sanitation are poor and
relatively low. 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!