Welfarestate Intervention in urban

segregation. The Dutch experience

Dr. Wim Ostendorf, AMIDSt

Is Urban Segregation Dangerous?

Question has already been answered positively and policies have been designed aiming at decreasing segregation

But urban segregation is normal, unavoidable and wanted

Many forms of urban segregation are ignored: of the rich, students or elderly

Segregation of poor people and of ethnic groups, in particular the combination of both, is seen as a problem

Big Cities Policy in The Netherlands

Preventing ‘income-neighbourhoods’, areas homogeneous with respect to income (read: low income) by urban restructuring

Creating mixed neighbourhoods by destroying low cost housing and rebuilding new, more expensive housing: this will bring higher income population into the neighbourhood

Or: this will offer a chance on a housing career within the same neighbourhood for the upwardly mobile, preventing selective out migration

The problem of urban segregation

The problem is not made very clear The aim is increasing social cohesion or integration Integration however, is a vague concept containing

economic, social, political and cultural connotations Some people think that the economic domain is

essential and that the other aspects will follow But others say that social integration is central and

that this will lead to economic progress Many people just want rapid social and cultural

assimilation: behaving and thinking ‘like us’

Contribution of social sciences 1

Urban policies and social science are two separate worlds: urban policies not based on research

However, nature of the problem and high costs of the urban restructuring ask for a solid foundation

Social differences and social inequality are translated into selective activities and also into segregation: social distance is translated into physical distance

In this view segregation is an effect and not a cause; fighting segregation is then ‘Kurieren am Symptom’

And increasing inequality will result in stronger segregation Consequently fighting against inequality is more appropriate

than fighting against segregation

Contribution of social sciences 2

Research in Human Geography and Urban Sociology point to the impact of the urban context on all kind of social phenomena

These insights justify the question if a segregated situation is having a social effect

But the outcome of this research should not be taken for granted, because people can and do avoid contexts that they do not accept

The outcome can be different for different categories and for different contexts

Contribution of social sciences 3

Relevant research findings are the following Segregation levels in European cities are low

compared to the USA; as a consequence neighbourhoods are already relatively mixed

There is no strong increase in segregation levels, at least in The Netherlands

But the share of foreign population is increasing In Europe there is no strong link between segregation

level and the introduction of urban policies fighting segregation

Contribution of social sciences 4

Research in The Netherlands on the effect of living in a disadvantaged neighbourhood did not show a clear negative effect on the socio-economic career of the disadvantaged people

However, it did show some effect on the socio-economic career of the non disadvantaged people

These results might explain ‘white flight’

Households that, in 1989 and in 1994 live on a benefit in relation to the characteristics of their environment in 1989, radius 250 meter

% weak households in the environment in 1989

No. of households Relative to all households not belonging to pensioners

0 – 2 2 – 4 4 – 6 6 – 8 8 – 1010 – 1212 – 1414 – 1616 – 2020 – 3030 – 4040 – 5050 – 7575 – 100

Total

7603603675184859139921289408638

1336621777

7654667380464

99836

47.757.259.260.060.661.161.560.761.862.564.370.697.899.6

62.0

Households that in 1989 had at least one paid job and in 1994 lived on a benefit in relation to the characteristics of their environment in 1989, radius

250 meter

% weak households in the environment in 1989

No. of households Relative to all households not belonging to pensioners

0 – 2 2 – 4 4 – 6 6 – 8 8 – 1010 – 1212 – 1414 – 1616 – 2020 – 3030 – 4040 – 5050 – 7575 – 100

Total

61603112071121544107966

86573693015304541713535105799713583

762217

90

779975

6,07,07,98,9

10,211,312,413,514,719,024,724,522,135,5

10.8

Contribution of social sciences 5

Patterns of criminality in Amsterdam do not show a clear relation with the segregation of poor and or non-Dutch people

Hot spots of criminality are found in areas of the central city, not in the neighbourhoods where poor people and/or many ethnic minorities live

Hot spots of criminality are not related to the residential population, but to the opportunities offered to the visiting population: going out, shopping, events

Concentrations of Turks in Amsterdam 2004

Concentrations of Moroccans in Amsterdam 2004

Concentrations of Surinamese in Amsterdam 2004

Concentrations of all criminal acts in Amsterdam 2002

Concentrations of pick pocketing in Amsterdam 2002

Concentrations of bicycle robbery in Amsterdam 2002

Concentrations of residents receiving social benefits in Amsterdam 2003

Concentrations of immigrants of western countries in Amsterdam 2004

Conclusion

Urban policies fighting segregation need far more research regarding its presuppositions

In particular when the idea ‘integration depends on segregation’ is involved; in popular terms: salvation through new neighbours

In the meantime direct policies instead of these indirect policies should get more attention: improving the labour market position and the education of the disadvantaged population

Or stated more general: decreasing socio-economic inequality