Anders Barstad
Segregation and Inequality in Norwegian Cities
Social and Economic Studies 97 Statistics Norway 1997
This study uses surveys of level of living and other data sources to describe and comprehend inequalities in level of living between the cities and other parts of the country, and also differences in level of living within the cities. The norwegian surveys of level of living show that certain aspects of level of living are lower in the cities than in other parts of the country. Noise and pollution, comparatively low housing standard and fear of violence are for instance more common. On the other hand do city inhabitants have certain advantages, like a good working environment, high income and a variety of service offerings. All in all the differences in level of living between cities and other parts of the country can be described in terms of compensatory patterns. Oslo has a somewhat stronger accumulation of persons with bad living conditions than the other cities, and the inequalities within the city are more profound, both between neighbourhoods and persons.
The typical bad living conditions in the city are to a considerable extent concentrated in certain areas, especially parts of the inner city area. Indexes of bad living conditions indicate a stronger accumulation of persons with problems in relation to work, health, housing, economy and violence in the eastern part of Oslo´s inner city than in any other part of the country. There is also some accumulation of problems in the inner city areas of other cities, and in some of the suburban areas in the eastern part of Oslo. On the municipal level the bad living conditions are most common in municipalities situated in the outskirts of northern Norway and in a few mediumsized towns, primarily in the souteastern region (Østlandet). To a certain degree one could say that the most pronounced accumulation of bad living conditions in Norway are in «the centre of the centre» and in the «periphery of the periphery».
The causes of the accumulation of bad living conditions in «the centre of the centre» are discussed. Oslo has a more pronounced social and demographic segregation than other cities. Certain vulnerable groups, young adults seeking to establish a life on their own, the divorced, people living alone, immigrants from non-western countries, are concentrated in the eastern part of Oslo´s inner city. The causes of this concentration are many and complex. The housing market and structure (for instance the fact that a large part of the dwellings are small and to let) will attract certain groups and repel others. In addition to moving patterns and social inequality as explanations, the social and physical environment in these areas can create problems for their inhabitants. It is uncertain to what extent segregation is problematic. For some, vulnerable groups, who spend a lot of time in their neighbourhood, the effect can be negative. The segregation can also contribute to less residential stability, since several of the groups who are concentrated in the eastern part of Oslo´s inner city are prone to move a lot.
Keywords: Level of living, segregation, inequality, urban, Oslo
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