Residential segregation and urban policies: convergence and contrasts between Barcelona and Santiago de Chile

Abstract

The article explores the relationships between social inequality and residential segregation in Barcelona, a European city often presented as a model of reformist urban policies, and in Santiago de Chile, an archetype of neoliberal urban development in Latin America. The analysis shows the complexity of the relationship between inequality and segregation, problematizing the existence of a direct and simple relationship between one variable and another, since both feed each other, their effects can be delayed in time and, in certain circumstances, the increase in the first may be accompanied by a reduction in the second. Similarly, the convergences and divergences between the urban policies applied in both cities are underlined, pointing out the importance that historical processes and global trends have had in their configuration. Finally, the article points out the relevance of the collective action of citizens in the evolution of segregation and in the design of policies related to it.