Social and Territorial Inequalities in Cities and Global Migration Patterns

Social and Territorial Differences

The phenomenon of globalization favors privileged areas in cities and within the same city, as well as other areas. In recent times, this has led to an acute social inequality.

Privileged Areas

People with high incomes reside in large private residential areas, where they have exclusive recreational spaces. Urban developments arise around these zones.

Marginalized Areas

People with low incomes live in precarious housing known as favelas or slums.

City Centers

On some occasions, historic city centers are recovered through the rehabilitation of buildings and gentrification.

In other cases, the districts of the city center deteriorate due to a lack of investment and infrastructure, and may be revitalized through private initiatives.

Boundaries Between Rural and Urban Areas

In metropolitan areas, the limit of the city is not a clearly defined line. The city extends over a broad area where rural and urban activities mix. This is a very dynamic and changing zone that may receive different names: diffuse area, peri-urban area, or rur-urban fringe.

Functions and Uses Diffused in the City

In the diffuse territory of the city, activities are organized according to the needs of the metropolis, and it is difficult to locate them within the city proper: housing developments, industrial estates, leisure facilities, and so on.

Causes of the Diffuse City

The growth of the diffuse city is basically caused by the high price of land in the big city, and was made possible, to a large extent, thanks to private transport and the increase in road infrastructure.

Consequences of the Diffuse City

If the diffuse city develops without urban planning, its consequences can be very negative for the following reasons:

• Very high land consumption. The expansion of the city consumes agricultural land for urban development.
• Increased service needs. Infrastructure demands for electricity, water, gas, constant mobility, surveillance, and so on increase. People live in one place, work, study, have fun, and relate to others in different places.
• Social development hindered for the individual. The dispersion of activities over a wide territory makes interaction between people difficult, and makes it hard for them to find common meeting points.

Migration

Economic globalization has led to enormous differences between poor countries, generally known as the South, and wealthy countries of the North. These differences cause very strong migration flows from areas of poverty and economic insecurity toward areas of well-being.

• Initially, the developed countries organized and controlled immigration. Their economies needed cheap labor, which was not enough, and workers were hired in unqualified or low-skilled positions.
• Currently, however, migration intensity is so great that receiving countries have established entry quotas and strict controls to prevent illegal entry.

East-West Migration

The fall of communism in Eastern and Central Europe and the former Soviet Union led to the first serious economic and social crises in these countries.

• As a consequence of this process, there was a heavy emigration from Eastern and Central Europe. Russia and Ukraine also received numerous immigrants.
• The entry of several Eastern European countries into the European Union has allowed these movements to be partly regularized.
• In general, the population migrating is initially low-skilled, but given their high level of training, their employment prospects are high.

Migration in Developed Countries

This type of migration involves highly skilled people with economic and professional profiles, who move not out of necessity, but to change jobs or to move where they work.

Main Migratory Routes

Since approximately 1985, the main emigrant-sending countries have been China, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, and other Asian countries, Mexico and some countries of Central and South America, and numerous countries of North Africa and the Middle East. At the same time, these countries also receive numerous immigrants.

• Japan is a major attraction for regional migrants in Asia.
• Other countries such as Australia and the Gulf states are preferred destinations for many people from South Asia.
• There are also two zones that attract the largest number of migrants globally: Western Europe and Latin America.

Immigration in Today's Society

• Women and children in Africa, Latin America, and Asia are increasingly joining the labor force.
• In Europe, retiring workers from the North are being replaced by high-wage or professional immigrants.

Consequences of Immigration

Immigration contributes to the growth of the population. The immigrant population in general is young, and immigrant women have a fertility rate much higher than that of Spanish women.

Immigrants occupy positions of little prestige and contribute to work in the service sector. Immigrants with legal work permits pay social security and other taxes, which helps finance the pensions of retired workers.

However, the arrival of a large immigrant population can sometimes lead to integration difficulties.