Social inequality and residential segregation in urban areas in globalization. A comparative study of the cases of Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia

Abstract

 Over the last three decades, the Spanish cities with the largest demographic dimension have undergone profound spatial, social and economic transformations. The new urban economies have played an essential role in the acceleration of such transformations, entailing a range of both positive and negative impacts at the spatial, social, economic, and environmental levels. This article presents a quantitative analysis of how the implementation of new forms of urban economy —framed in what is academically called global capitalism— has encouraged social polarization of the cities of Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia, as well as a significant increase in intra-urban residential segregation. The article concludes with the argument that this deterioration in levels of social polarization and residential segregation reflect the advance towards polarized urban models.