The nature of concentrated urban poverty in Canada and the United States

A detailed examination of concentrated urban poverty in Canada's cities in 1986 reveals that Canada has proportionally more people in concentrated urban poverty than the United Stares. Concentrated urban poverty in Canada means not only poverty, but also high levels of a host of social dislocations. In the second half of this essay the causes of concentrated urban poverty are addressed. Using comparative data, I test the applicability of two theories which cite either racial segregation or a specific structural history as the root of concentrated urban poverty. My analysis indicates that race and ethnicity greatly influence one's chances of living in concentrated urban poverty. However, it is clear that for the majority of Canada's concentrated urban poor who are white, a historical pattern of rapid immigration, manufacturing decline, and central city depopulation is at the heart of their impoverished status.