Spatial aspects of social integration in the cities

Abstract

Abstract The lack of social integration or signs of disintegration are often visible and can be delimited in space. “Bad neighbourhoods” and “no-go areas” or villages and regions going through ghettoization can give the impression as if social problems were only typical of these areas. However, these stigmatized territories are merely the symptoms of the fact that the social system cannot equally integrate everybody and the most disadvantaged and discriminated members are excluded from it in the physical sense as well. The social problems appearing in space are often treated – especially in the last few decades – with spatial interventions that are not handling the wider causes of them, and only displace the problems and the socially excluded residents. On the other hand, residents of these excluded territories often suffer disadvantages because of the dysfunctional institutions and unsatisfactory infrastructure in the broad sense that are typical in these areas. This can also mean that economic growth and social programmes are not affecting these places as elsewhere. This study reviews a part of the international literature of urban spatial interventions from the aspect of the spatial issues of social integration. Key words: social integration, spatial intervention, exclusion, gentrification, institutions