Racial/Ethnic Segregation and Urban Inequality in Kansas City, Missouri: A Divided City

Abstract

Racial/ethnic segregation is a cause of urban inequality. This, in turn, perpetuates disadvantaged groups’ spatial segregation and difficulty in upward mobility. Planned racial and social segregation through a process of redlining almost one hundred years ago is fundamental to understanding today’s patterns of urban inequality. The aim of this study is to analyze the links between racial/ethnic segregation and inequality in Kansas City (MO). After studying the origins and significance of redlining in the city, an analysis is made of the distribution and segregation of the African American and Hispanic populations at an intra-urban level in addition to an analysis of urban inequality at a census tract level, using economic and housing indicators. We conclude that Kansas City is a divided city. The processes of segregation and inequality are clearly interrelated. The historical redlining map of racial segregation is reflected in today’s socio-spatial map of inequality.