Social and Economic Issues in Cities

Cities are sites of extraordinary wealth and opportunity but also of profound inequality and deprivation. Understanding the social and economic dynamics of urban areas — who benefits, who is marginalised, and why — is central to the study of contemporary urban environments.

Key Definition: Urban inequality refers to the uneven distribution of income, wealth, opportunities, and quality of life between different groups and areas within a city. It manifests spatially as contrasting neighbourhoods of affluence and deprivation, often in close proximity.

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Measuring Urban Deprivation

The Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD)

The Index of Multiple Deprivation is the official measure of relative deprivation in England, produced by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). The most recent edition (IMD 2019) ranks 32,844 Lower Layer Super Output Areas (LSOAs) — small areas containing approximately 1,500 people — across seven domains: