Spatial Patterns of Poverty and Social Segregation in Metropolitan Areas

Abstrak

This article develops a conceptual discussion of spatial patterns of urban poverty and social segregation in metropolitan areas. It argues that poverty often becomes geographically concentrated in particular neighbourhoods, shaped by land markets, housing policies, and long-term urban development decisions. Such concentrations are closely related to patterns of social separation between low-income groups and more affluent residents, as daily interactions, institutional access, and social networks tend to remain within distinct territories. The paper explores how residential clustering of low-income households affects access to public services, labour markets, information, and symbolic recognition within the city. It further considers how large-scale redevelopment and infrastructure projects may displace poor residents and reproduce new pockets of deprivation at the urban fringe. By treating the metropolis as a spatial structure that organises unequal life chances, the article highlights the need for planning perspectives that explicitly address questions of spatial justice. The conceptual framework offered here is intended as a basis for subsequent empirical work and for reflection among planners and policy makers concerned with urban poverty and segregation.