Laura Vaughan and Sonia Arbaci

Article in Built Environment, v.37 n.2 (2011)

This article by Laura Vaughan and Sonia Arbaci considers that, despite a century of research into urban segregation, patterns of immigrant settlement are insufficiently understood.

This topical issue requires radical thinking, particularly as it is currently dealt with by a range of disciplines, each of which tends to rely on its own research paradigms. This paper reviews some of the key challenges of studying the subject, starting with the concept of segregation being more complex than the simplistic label of 'ghetto' might suggest. The paper also shows how approaches to the challenges of understanding urban segregation differ according to its given geographical context and disciplinary approach. It shows that segregation is a multi-dimensional process, requiring a multi-disciplinary approach. The paper concludes that research into segregation needs to address the fact that it is an inherently complex and fundamentally spatial phenomenon