The Effect of Limited Mobility on the Experienced Segregation of Foreign-born Minorities (2407.00404v3)

Abstract: Segregation is a key challenge in promoting more diverse and inclusive cities. Research based on large-scale mobility data indicates that segregation between majority and minority groups persists in daily activities beyond residential areas, like visiting shops and restaurants. Aspects including lifestyle differences, homophily, and mobility constraints have been proposed as drivers of this phenomenon, but their contributions remain poorly quantified. Here, we elucidate how different mechanisms influence segregation outside home, looking at the distinctive segregation experienced by native and foreign-born individuals. Our study is based on the movement of ~320,000 individual smartphone devices collected in Sweden, where immigration creates profound divides. We find that while day-to-day activities lead to mixing for native-born individuals, foreign-born individuals remain segregated in their out-of-home activities. Using counterfactual simulations, we show that this heterogeneous effect of mobility on experienced segregation results mainly from two mechanisms: homophily and limited travel, i.e. foreign-born individuals (i) tend to visit destinations visited by similar individuals, and (ii) have limited mobility ranges. We show that homophily, as represented by destination preference, plays a minor role, while limited mobility, associated with reduced transport access, limits opportunities for foreign-born minorities to diversify their encounters. Our findings suggest that enhancing transport accessibility in foreign-born concentrated areas could reduce social segregation.

The Uneven Impact of Mobility on the Segregation of Native and Foreign-born Individuals

This paper investigates the differential effects of daily mobility on segregation levels experienced by native-born and foreign-born (specifically outside Europe) individuals in Sweden, using a dataset comprising approximately 320,000 smartphone trajectories. The paper underscores how daily mobility can either alleviate or perpetuate segregation within urban settings, contingent upon demographic background.

Key Findings

1. Differential Impact of Mobility: The research reveals that while daily mobility generally reduces segregation for native-born individuals, foreign-born individuals continue to experience significant levels of segregation during their out-of-home activities.
2. Mechanisms of Segregation: By employing counterfactual simulations, the paper isolates two primary mechanisms underpinning the observed patterns—homophily and limited mobility. However, homophily (the tendency to associate with similar others) is found to play a minor role. The more significant factor is limited mobility range, associated mainly with reduced transport accessibility for foreign-born individuals.
3. Quantifying Segregation: The authors utilize an adjusted Indicator of Concentration at Extremes (ICE) to quantify segregation. ICE values show that residential segregation is considerably higher compared to experienced segregation for both groups, but this reduction is more pronounced for native-born individuals. Specifically, native-born individuals' segregation values decrease significantly from 0.385 to -0.053 while moving from residential to out-of-home activities, whereas foreign-born individuals' segregation reduces modestly from -0.380 to -0.295.
4. Counterfactual Scenarios: Simulation scenarios reveal nuanced effects of mobility. In a 'no-destination preference' scenario, the segregation experienced by both groups decreases, suggesting that destination preference has a small but notable impact. In an 'equalized mobility range' scenario, where all individuals have similar mobility ranges, the segregation experienced by foreign-born individuals reduces significantly to non-significant levels, highlighting the critical role of mobility range.

Implications

Practical Implications

1. Transport Policy Interventions: Enhancing transport accessibility in areas with high concentrations of foreign-born individuals could potentially reduce social segregation. This finding aligns with the broader transport equity literature and suggests prioritizing transport investments in underserved areas could foster more inclusive urban environments.
2. Urban Planning: Urban planners and policymakers need to account for mobility patterns when designing interventions aimed at reducing segregation. Ensuring equitable access to diverse amenities and workplaces can contribute to social mixing.

Theoretical Implications

1. Segregation Dynamics: The paper adds to the nuanced understanding of segregation dynamics by considering not just where people live, but also where they go throughout the day. This approach underscores the importance of analyzing experienced segregation alongside residential segregation.
2. Heterogeneous Effects of Mobility: The differential effects of mobility on various demographic groups point to the need for more tailored theories and models that can capture the complexity of urban segregation.

Future Research

The findings pave the way for several future research directions:

1. Longitudinal Studies: Future studies should utilize longitudinal data to examine the causal relationships between transport access improvements and reduced social segregation.
2. Broader Contexts: Replicating this paper in different geographic and socio-political contexts could validate the generalizability of the results.
3. In-depth Analysis of Social Interactions: While this paper focuses on co-presence as a proxy for potential social interactions, future work could incorporate more direct measures of social integration to understand the quality and outcomes of these interactions.

Conclusion

This paper delivers a comprehensive examination of how daily mobility influences segregation experiences differently for native-born and foreign-born individuals in Sweden. It highlights the critical role of mobility range in driving these differences, thus underscoring the importance of transport policies and planning interventions aimed at enhancing accessibility and reducing social segregation.