The research of the Italian COLINE partners, titled „Time-space dynamics of income segregation in the city of Milan” combines big data and urban science. It has reached a wider audience thanks to the recent news coverage in the Italian newspapers La Repubblica (October 27th) and Avvenire (October 19th).
Both articles cover the publication of Riccardo Di Clemente (Northeastern University, London - ISI Foundation, Turin) and Vittorio Loreto (University “La Sapienza” of Rome, Sony Computer Science Laboratories of Rome) and Lavinia Rossi Mori (Sony CSL, Rome) about the varying inclusivity of the neighbourhoods of Milan.
Leveraging anonymised location data of thousands of residents of different income groups (low, medium, high - based on rental information) they could analyse the movement of population groups and their interactions during daytime, evening and night hours.
Results underscore the importance of the temporal factor since the daytime city dynamics differ significantly from those of the evenings and nights. On workdays, central districts show a higher level of inclusivity, meaning they welcome people from all income groups. They achieve this by having efficient public transport, providing all the essential services and institutions (such as schools) and granting access to cultural heritage sites. However, by the evening, the importance shifts to a ring of districts around the centre, the so-called transition zones, which are still accessible but offer various opportunities for commercial and leisure activities, and restaurants at all price ranges. The most segregated parts remain on the periphery of the city populated by lower income group residents.
The framework proposed in this study highlights areas where authorities should invest to create a more inclusive mix of population. The research directly supports COLINE’s mission to create more accessible, socially mixed 15-minute cities.
(Photo credit: Arbalete, CC-BY-SA.3)
