Quantifying urban socio-economic segregation through co-residence network reconstruction

TL;DR

This paper analyzes urban socio-economic segregation in Vienna by reconstructing co-residence networks from administrative data, revealing wealth-based clusters and informing integration policies.

Contribution

It introduces a novel network-based approach to quantify segregation and uncovers the influence of wealth, diversity, and nationality on residential clustering.

Findings

Identifies two major socio-economic clusters in Vienna.

Shows wealth disparities and homophily influence segregation.

Provides insights for policy design to improve integration.

Abstract

Urban segregation poses a critical challenge in cities, exacerbating inequalities, social tensions, fears, and polarization. It emerges from a complex interplay of socio-economic disparities and residential preferences, disproportionately impacting migrant communities. In this paper, using a comprehensive administrative data from Vienna, where nearly 40% of the population consists of international migrants, we analyse co-residence preferences between migrants and locals at the neighbourhood level. Our findings reveal two major clusters in Vienna shaped by wealth disparities, district diversity, and nationality-based homophily. These insights shed light on the underlying mechanisms of urban segregation and designing policies for better integration.