Suburbanisation of Poverty: New Spatial (De)Concentration of Poor and Low Income Households in German City Regions
Final Report Abstract
The explorative research project investigated the question of whether the disproportionately high demand for housing in German inner cities in recent years and the associated price increases on the real estate market lead to a displacement of low-income households and whether there are new concentrations of poverty in the city-regional context. The spatial analysis methods developed for the project show that the conditions for researching the topic in Germany are challenging, but that innovative options nevertheless exist. In particular, the geostatistic coldspot analysis of purchasing power was able to show where concentrations of low-income households in the 33 largest German urban regions indicate disadvantaged locations. The implementation as interactive web maps and the development of indicators and a so-called micro analysis for surrounding municipalities with concise coldspots represented an essential result for the subsequent project modules. Based on the coldspot analysis, the causes and dynamics of the concentrations of lowincome households were discussed with local experts in three selected urban regions (Aachen, Karlsruhe, Leipzig), first in the core cities and then in medium-sized cities in the surrounding areas. In the core cities, city-specific spatial patterns emerge depending on the stock and location of low-cost housing, urban development and local housing market policy. The comparative analysis clearly shows the importance of welfare state regulations (protection of those receiving transfer payments, provision of low-income earners with housing benefits), which have so far prevented a general or large-scale displacement of lowincome households into the surrounding areas in German urban regions. However, there is an increasing concentration of low-income households in the few remaining "islands of affordability" (low-cost housing with or without social housing, partly in stigmatised locations) and the difficulties of the municipalities to provide an adequate supply for an increasing demand for low-cost housing become clear. Similar to the large cities, the local experts in the selected medium-sized cities see the main reason for the concentration patterns of low-income households in their municipality as the fact that the households remain in the few "islands of affordability". In addition, it is assumed that there is no influx of low-income households from the core city in the medium-sized cities either. Rather, it is assumed that low-income households are attracted from smaller municipalities in the surrounding areas because of a larger offer of social services and a larger stock of affordable housing. In contrast to the core cities, no further social housing construction is currently planned in the medium-sized cities. Rather, the medium-sized cities are focusing on newcomers with high purchasing power and are currently realising new buildings in a medium to higher price segment. In the interviews, almost all experts in the core cities and surrounding medium-sized cities understood low-income households to be those on social welfare. Households with low incomes from employment or pensions, who do not receive social benefits, have not been in the focus of the municipalities until now. For this reason, it could be summarised that working poverty seems to be a kind of "blind spot" in municipal social planning.
Publications
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Low-income households in German city regions: new or persistent patterns of segregation. Vortrag auf dem Kongress der International Geographical Union 2022, 18.07.2022, Paris, Frankreich.
Matuschek, D. & Pfaffenbach, C.
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New peripheries in the making? Analysing (de)concentrations of poverty in German city-regions. Vortrag auf dem AESOP Annual Congress 2022 „Space for Species: Redefining Spatial Justice“, 26.07.2022, Tartu, Estland.
Weck, S.
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Social Inequality in German City Regions. Online Storymap
Scheunert, P.
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Neue räumliche (De)Konzentrationen von niedrig-verdienenden und armen Haushalten in deutschen Stadtregionen. Vortrag im Rahmen des „Zweiten Fachgesprächs Soziale Durchmischung“ der Sozial- und Jugendbehörde der Stadt Karlsruhe, 29.06.2023, Karlsruhe.
Pfaffenbach, C.; Schmitz, J. & Weck, S.
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Neue räumliche (De)Konzentrationen von niedrigverdienenden und armen Haushalten in deutschen Stadtregionen. Vortrag im Rahmen des „Zweiten Fachforums Wohnungs- und Sozialdaten im (eu-)regionalen Kontext", 13.06.2023, Aachen.
Pfaffenbach, C.
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New peripheries in the making? Analysing German cities from the lens of a suburbanisation of poverty. Journal of Housing and the Built Environment, 38(4), 2267-2284.
Weck, Sabine; Dobusch, Diane; Pfaffenbach, Carmella; Fina, Stefan & Schmitz, Julian
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Verteilungsmuster von Haushalten mit geringer Kaufkraft in deutschen Stadtregionen vor dem Hintergrund der aktuellen Wohnungsmarktentwicklung. Berichte Geographie und Landeskunde, 96(3), 215-237.
Pfaffenbach, Carmella; Dobusch, Diane; Weck, Sabine; Fina, Stefan & Schmitz, Julian
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New measurement approaches to identifying spatial concentrations of poor and low-income households in German city regions. Raumforschung und Raumordnung | Spatial Research and Planning, 82(1), 40-54.
Fina, Stefan; Schmitz, Julian; Weck, Sabine; Pfaffenbach, Carmella & Dobusch, Diane
