Residential Segregation: A Literature Review

This essay presents a literature review about residential segregation. Given the vast extension of it, the focus has been on those works that we have considered either more influential or with the potential to define the new trends of this kind of research. We have classified the literature into the following subjects: definitions, measures, causes and consequences. Our main conclusions are that the measurement and description of segregation must be based upon techniques that incorporate spatial factors; it is crucial to use individuals interactions and social dynamics models in order to understand the segregation causes and consequences; it is necessary to consider general equilibrium models, with endogenous location decisions and the interaction of relevant markets to shed light on the segregation consequences upon the society as a whole and to evaluate any policy designed to deal with it.