Social spaces and urban policies

Social area analysis of cities generally shows three dominant dimensions characterising urban neighbourhoods: socioeconomic differences (rich and poor), socio-demographic differences (families and other households), and sociocultural differences (differences in ethnicity or in religion). Most often these three dimensions can be clearly observed, but the dynamics in each of these three dimensions are remarkable. Processes of suburbanisation, immigration, downgrading, and upgrading or gentrification over the last 50 years have changed the picture considerably. Original work on the structure of social areas was mainly illustrated with examples from individual American cities such as Chicago and Boston. In this article, the changes that occur in social areas are illustrated with the social map of Amsterdam. Based on these findings, processes in other cities are also discussed, as well as the policy-reactions that these processes provoke.