Contemporary Urban Environments 4

Economic inequality is the unequal distribution of money amongst a population.

Economic inequalities are higher in the developing world than in developed ountries. This is because many developing countries lack the resources to support their poorest citizens, whereas most developed nations have welfare states which provide basic services and income for people who are struggling financially.

Economic inequality can cause lots of issues in cities, for example:

• Political and social unrest, e.g. rioting.
• A rise in crime, drug use and violence.
• Health problems, e.g. cities with higher levels of income inequality have more malnourished children.

Cities tend to be culturally diverse - they have a wide mix of people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

This can have lots of benefits - ethnic diversity can enrich a city's character and increase tolerance, while cultural events and ethnic quarters within a city can attract tourists, boosting the city's economy.

However, cultural diversity can also cause problems in cities, for example:

• Tensions between different groups, sometimes leading to violence.
• Increased pressure on services.
• Minority communities can feel isolated and under-represented politically.

Cities with high diversity, including people from different ethnic, social or cultural backgrounds, may also experience social segregation. This is when different groups are separated from each other, e.g. poorer people or people from a particular ethnic background are concentrated in a specific area of a city.

This can be voluntary, e.g. followers of a particular religion may choose to settle close to their place of worship. It can also be forced, e.g. many Roma people in Italy can't access social housing, so they end up in camps on city outskirts.

Social segregation can cause issues in urban areas, for example:

• Lack of integration between different groups can cause prejudice and discrimination.
• People in some areas may have less access to education and jobs, widening inequalities.
• Segregation can lead to anxiety and have negative impacts on health and life expectancy.
• In developing countries, poorer areas may lack access to facilities, e.g. electricity, clean water, public transport. They are also more likely to be close to industry and rubbish dumps, affecting health and wellbeing.

There are lots of strategies to reduce poverty and economic inequalities in urban areas:

• Improving transport systems can make it easier for the urban poor to access jobs.
• Subsidising the construction of affordable housing can help less wealthy people to buy property.
• Introducing minimum wages can help to stabilise wage inequalities between the poor and rich.
• Governments can offer subsidies for…