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The Social Ecology of the Post-Fordist/Global City? Economic Restructuring and Socio-spatial Polarisation in the Toronto Urban Region

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  • R. Alan Walks

    (Department of Geography, University of Toronto, 100 St George Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, walksa@cirque.geog.utoronto.ca)

Abstract

Numerous authors have asserted that globalisation and occupational changes associated with post-Fordist economic restructuring have led to a growth in intraurban social disparity and even polarisation. This hypothesis is most consistently articulated in the literature on global cities. However, the social effects of post-Fordist economic restructuring and the interplay between occupational changes and social and spatial factors within urban areas are not well understood. This paper seeks to provide an initial investigation into processes of socioeconomic change which may be presently ocurring within cities, and to model how such processes may be articulated within urban space. To gauge the impact of occupational restructuring on the social structure of the city, and to test the assertion that economic changes are related to increased polarisation, shifts in occupation, immigration and income variables in the urban region of Toronto, Canada, are examined. The patterns of social and spatial change occurring between 1971 ands 1991 are plottted and the possible tendencies towards increasing polarisation are analysed and discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • R. Alan Walks, 2001. "The Social Ecology of the Post-Fordist/Global City? Economic Restructuring and Socio-spatial Polarisation in the Toronto Urban Region," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 38(3), pages 407-447, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:38:y:2001:i:3:p:407-447
    DOI: 10.1080/00420980120027438
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    Cited by:

    1. Markus Moos, 2014. "Generational Dimensions of Neoliberal and Post-Fordist Restructuring: The Changing Characteristics of Young Adults and Growing Income Inequality in Montreal and Vancouver," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(6), pages 2078-2102, November.
    2. Gerhard Hatz, 2009. "Features And Dynamics Of Socio‐Spatial Differentiation In Vienna And The Vienna Metropolitan Region," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 100(4), pages 485-501, September.
    3. Sébastien Breau & Michael Shin & Nick Burkhart, 2018. "Pulling apart: new perspectives on the spatial dimensions of neighbourhood income disparities in Canadian cities," Journal of Geographical Systems, Springer, vol. 20(1), pages 1-25, January.
    4. Thomas Maloutas, 2007. "Segregation, Social Polarization and Immigration in Athens during the 1990s: Theoretical Expectations and Contextual Difference," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(4), pages 733-758, December.
    5. Thomas Maloutas, 2009. "Urban Outcasts: A Contextualized Outlook on Advanced Marginality," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(3), pages 828-834, September.
    6. Martine August, 2014. "Negotiating Social Mix in Toronto's First Public Housing Redevelopment: Power, Space and Social Control in Don Mount Court," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(4), pages 1160-1180, July.
    7. M. Meli̇h Pinarcioğlu & Oğuz Işik, 2009. "Segregation In Istanbul: Patterns And Processes," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 100(4), pages 469-484, September.
    8. Yanjun Wang & Kewei Liu, 2017. "Evolution of Urban Socio-Spatial Structure in Modern Times in Xi’an, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-22, October.
    9. Shenjing He & Fulong Wu & Chris Webster & Yuting Liu, 2010. "Poverty Concentration and Determinants in China's Urban Low‐income Neighbourhoods and Social Groups," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(2), pages 328-349, June.
    10. Catherine J. Nash & Andrew Gorman-Murray, 2014. "LGBT Neighbourhoods and ‘New Mobilities’: Towards Understanding Transformations in Sexual and Gendered Urban Landscapes," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(3), pages 756-772, May.
    11. Patterson, Zachary & Saddier, Simon & Rezaei, Ali & Manaugh, Kevin, 2014. "Use of the Urban Core Index to analyze residential mobility: the case of seniors in Canadian metropolitan regions," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 116-125.
    12. Madhuri Sharma, 2014. "The changing South! An examination of residential intermixing and neighbourhood contexts in Knoxville, Tennessee," Regional Science Policy & Practice, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 6(2), pages 153-175, June.

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