This book provides the first in depth interpretation of how to understand the causes of ethnic residential segregation across Western European countries and the USA. In many countries, ethnic minorities have obtained low quality housing and may be concentrated in certain parts of cities. This book asks to what extent ethnic segregation can be assigned to special preferences for housing and neighbourhoods among ethnic minorities. Is it the behaviour of the native majority, or is it a result of housing and urban policies? Ethnic segregation differs greatly across European countries and cities. Chapters discuss the extent to which these differences can be explained by welfare state systems, levels of immigration and the ethnic composition of minorities. The book also considers the impact of housing policy and the spatial structure of urban housing markets created by urban planning and policies. This book will appeal to teachers, students and researchers working with segregation, urban sociology and geography. It will also be valuable to civil servants in central and local governments who are working with measures to combat ethnic segregation and its consequences.

This title was first published in 2003. Most European cities have experienced problems in certain neighbourhoods that are termed deprived or excluded . Traditionally these were found in the oldest urban areas with lowest quality housing, but since the 1980s, such areas have emerged in housing estates built around the cities' edges. These neighbourhoods are marked by visible physical and social problems that disfigure the otherwise pleasant urban landscape, and can be seen as urban sores . This engaging and thought-provoking book provides a deeper understanding of why urban decay and deprived neighbourhoods appear in certain parts of cities, as well as how they affect residents and cities in general. Drawing on in-depth empirical research from Denmark, it compares this with other studies from Europe and the United States. The author combines theories and methodologies from the fields of geography (on segregation), economics (on processes of urban decay) and social research (on social exclusion and deprived neighbourhoods) to provide original, illuminating and invaluable insights.