Concentration and socioeconomic homogeneity: Representation of urban segregation in six intermediate cities of Chile

Abstract

The present article aims to analyze the study of homogeneity and polarization phenomena associated with urban segregation in six Chilean intermediate cities: Iquique - Alto Hospicio, Antofagasta, La Serena - Coquimbo, Rancagua - Machalí, Talca and Temuco - Padre Las Casas. Methodologically, the case study will be approached through the comparison between the cartographic representation of traditional urban segregation (predominant socioeconomic groups) and a proposal of representation of socioeconomic homogeneity based on the standard deviation between the percentages of each group. Among the cross-sectional results of the research, the presence of: 1) socio-economic heterogeneity in urban centers mainly through groups C2 and C3, with presence of ABC1 and D in some particular cases; 2) social homogeneity in urban peripheries, highlighting groups ABC1 and C3 and; 3) location of low socio-economic groups in areas whose geographical barriers limit their access to centrality.