Spatial patterns of residential segregation: A generative model

Abstract. Residential segregation is an explicitly spatial phenomenon that emerges from the interaction of many individuals and displays markedly different global patterns depending on specific socioeconomic contexts. This paper presents a generative model of socioeconomic segregation that reproduces regular macro-level patterns of the phe-nomenon through the specification of a minimal set of parameters that drive the agents’ behaviour. The purpose of these experiments is to provide insights about the emergence of certain types of segregation patterns that have been identified in many modern cities and measure the relation between these distinct outputs and the degree of segregation they produce. Key words: urban planning; segregation; inequality; agent-based model. 1