Is segregation encoded in urban form? An entropy-based analysis
4 affiliations
- 1Research Centre for Territory, Transport and Environment (CITTA), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
- 2Graduate Programme in Architecture and Urbanism (PPGAU), Fluminense Federal University, Niterói, Brazil.
- 3Space Planning, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
- 4Institute of Physics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Abstract
The footprints of residential segregation have long been documented, yet the role of urban form as both medium and manifestation of segregation remains under-specified. We investigate whether the configuration of the built fabric may encode residential segregation in its spatial structure, hypothesising that built-form entropy (BFE) regimes are associated with the spatial distribution of income groups and their local clustering in non-linear ways. We examine this by quantifying BFE through a Shannon-based measure computed from building footprints, characterising income-based distributions using the Gini index and Moran’s I, and placing both on a common spatial footing through a regular tessellation. Applying this framework to São Paulo, Latin America’s largest city, we find non-linear relationships between BFE, income, and segregation: income levels and residential clustering increase toward both extremes of the entropy spectrum, with a stronger rise at the high-entropy end. This asymmetry suggests that high-entropy urban forms are associated with distinct spatial processes of segregation, including elite enclaving and incremental development in lower-income settlements, while low-entropy forms reflect more selective occupation shaped by planning and market filtering. Overall, the findings suggest that built form is more than a neutral backdrop, functioning as both affordance and signal of segregation.
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BibTeX
@article{netto2026segregation,
title = {{Is segregation encoded in urban form? An entropy-based analysis}},
author = {Vinicius M Netto and Caio Cacholas and Camila Carvalho and Edgardo Brigatti},
journal = {PLOS One},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0360856},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0360856},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Is segregation encoded in urban form? An entropy-based analysis
AU - Vinicius M Netto
AU - Caio Cacholas
AU - Camila Carvalho
AU - Edgardo Brigatti
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/23
JO - PLOS One
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0360856
UR - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0360856
AB - The footprints of residential segregation have long been documented, yet the role of urban form as both medium and manifestation of segregation remains under-specified. We investigate whether the configuration of the built fabric may encode residential segregation in its spatial structure, hypothesising that built-form entropy (BFE) regimes are associated with the spatial distribution of income groups and their local clustering in non-linear ways. We examine this by quantifying BFE through a Shannon-based measure computed from building footprints, characterising income-based distributions using the Gini index and Moran’s I, and placing both on a common spatial footing through a regular tessellation. Applying this framework to São Paulo, Latin America’s largest city, we find non-linear relationships between BFE, income, and segregation: income levels and residential clustering increase toward both extremes of the entropy spectrum, with a stronger rise at the high-entropy end. This asymmetry suggests that high-entropy urban forms are associated with distinct spatial processes of segregation, including elite enclaving and incremental development in lower-income settlements, while low-entropy forms reflect more selective occupation shaped by planning and market filtering. Overall, the findings suggest that built form is more than a neutral backdrop, functioning as both affordance and signal of segregation.
SN - 1932-6203
ER -