Social Development and Public Governance > Social Development > Urban Development
The Social Spatial Segregation in the Cities of Latin America
By Francisco Sabatini (03/06, SDS/SOC, En, Es)
The cities offer Latin America and the Caribbean their best opportunity for economic and social devel-opment. Aside from concentrating on more than two thirds of the population, it is estimated that urban activities will generate more than 75% of the expected growth of the Gross Domestic Product in the next two decades. Therefore, in order to improve the competitiveness of economic activities in national and global markets, it is necessary to not only maintain healthy economic policies and eliminate commerce barriers, but also to improve the cities' abilities to provide an efficient platform to support the establish-ment and development of many types of companies. Adequate provision of infrastructure and good living conditions, factors attracting skilled labor and industrialists to the cities, are crucial initiatives of local economic development, yet they are not sufficient. Access to well-paying jobs and good urban services are critical in order to increase the populations' opportunities to live according to their desires and values. Yet, true social development will not occur unless concrete measures are taken to remove other barriers, including spatial segregation of the poorest households and ethnic or cultural discrimination. Social in-clusion and economic development are equally important in reducing violence and other antisocial behav-iors. In summary, a more inclusive city is a more productive city, encouraging growing markets for local products and services, thus contributing to the acceleration of economic growth. This document analyzes the first of the barriers mentioned above, spatial segregation of the poorest households. It discusses the characteristics and trends of residential segregation in the cities of Latin America, its causes and consequences, the state of research in this field and the policies that could control spatial segregation. The document emphasizes the fact that segregation is a complex phenomenon with some positive dimensions from the perspective of the social policies, as it could help improve their target-ing and efficiency. The negative dimensions of the phenomenon are also identified, such as social stig-matization of the low-income or minority-occupied neighborhoods. These considerations are important in the implementation of one of the central proposals of the Bank's Social Development Strategy, which advocates the coordination of policies and programs in the territory. I hope the publication of this study helps disseminate the available knowledge of this phenomenon to public policy managers and Bank staff, contributing to improve the design and execution of territorially centered social development policies and programs.
Last updated: 06/08/07
