Complexity Theory, Urban Configuration and Residential Segregation A Study of the Link between Transformation of the Residential Segregation and Urban Configuration in Rotterdam, the Netherlands

This paper examines the relationship between two dynamic urban processes: residential spatial segregation and the configuration of the urban network. It does so from the perspective of complexity theories of cities (CTC). Past CTC studies have concentrated on each of the above two processes separately; either on the dynamics of residential segregation as an outcome of agents' segregation tendencies, for instance, or on the study of the urban network. This study is thus innovative in its attempt to look at the interdependencies between these two urban processes. In the first place it does this theoretically, in the second in relation to the case study of the city of Rotterdam. To explore the urban process, the configuration of the urban network, two approaches are combined. First, the topological configuration is studied by means of space syntax. To do so, intelligibility, local and global integration is analysed. Second, Stephen Mashall's route structure analysis is applied to calculate the depth, connectivity and continuity of routes. Based on the configurational characteristics and geographic coordination, the k-means clustering technique is applied to determine spatial clusters in the city. The obtained clusters are used as spatial elements for exploring dynamics of residential segregation. Residential segregation is approached as a multidimensional phenomenon, with a variety of demographic factors including ethnicity, income, unemployment, length of stay in a residence and lifestyles. The paper demonstrates the correlations between various dimensions of residential segregation and configuration typologies. Interestingly, Lifestyle is the only dimension that highly corresponds to configuration typology.