Is it spatial or racial? Revamping the spatial mismatch theory

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Spatial mismatch describes the phenomenon of the geographic separation between housing and employment and many scholars name it as a contributing factor to urban poverty, particularly among black men (Blumberg and Manville, 2004). Viewed in that light, transportation is portrayed as the saving grace to overcome gaps in physical distance -- the cure-all that will relieve poverty and connect low-income people to their jobs. But is transportation really the missing link here? Before we throw all our resources at improving transportation connections between low-income housing and employment opportunities, let’s consider the racial inequities at play.

Is space the real issue, or is it race? The concept of spatial mismatch fails to acknowledge the structural and institutional racism that has informed housing, transportation, and land-use policies throughout our nation’s history. Exclusionary racial covenants, red lining, urban renewal, labor market discrimination, and disinvestment are just a few examples of policies that determine where people of color live and where job opportunities are located. Consider Chicago, where black low-wage workers spent seven more minutes commuting one-way to work compared to white low-wage workers (Badger, 2014). Yet if you look at the maps below, there are many jobs near where blacks live. We see that the city is highly segregated by race, but also that jobs are widely distributed across the city. While more jobs are located where whites live, the geographic distance between where blacks live and where jobs are located may not tell the entire story.  

Chicago population and employment statistics (Hellerstein, et al, 2007)

That said, transportation systems can certainly make tangible improvements to increase access to employment and serve a greater portion of the population.  Today’s cities are urbanizing and growing, and transit systems need to adapt to the decentralization of jobs and housing. In many cities, housing near the urban core is massively unaffordable and low-income families have been displaced to the city’s outskirts. Furthermore, job opportunities are now spread across the city. Transit systems can enhance service provided during alternative work hours, to improve access for people who do not work traditional 9-5 jobs.  Transit networks can also be redesigned to recognize the polycentric nature of employment opportunities. Tallahassee, Florida did this in 2011, moving away from the spoke and wheel design of bus routes after an on-board survey revealed that only 6.8% of riders wanted to go downtown (Badger, 2011).

The spatial mismatch hypothesis is due for a much-needed update. Let’s recognize the role of race in urban housing and employment disparities. Only then can we see how the role of transportation fits into the larger picture. 

Badger, Emily. “The Commuting Penalty of Being Poor and Black in Chicago.” City Lab, 2014.

Badger, Emily, “Decentralizing Bus Routes in Tallahassee.” City Lab, 2011. 

Blumenberg, E.; Manville, M. “Beyond the spatial mismatch: welfare recipients and transportation policy”.Journal of Planning Literature, 2004.

Hellerstein, et. al. “Spatial mismatch or racial mismatch?” Journal of Urban Economics, 2008.

Edited by Eavan Moore

Comments

  1. UnknownNovember 8, 2018 at 4:13 PM

    I'm surprised to hear that the concept of spatial mismatch doesn't account for or (really) isn't largely attributed to structural/institutional racism. I don't know enough about spatial mismatch theory to say for sure, but I would have assumed that in many cases spatial mismatch is a direct result of racialized and segregated space.
    Also just curious, you say that there are job opportunities spread throughout the city, but what types of jobs? Are living-wage and high-wage jobs equally distributed? If so, then is the problem more simply that PoC are not being hired for living wage jobs?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jensen PerrickNovember 22, 2018 at 10:49 AM

    Like Sachi, I too am surprised racism is not a more prevalent topic among spatial mismatch discussions. Transit increasing employment access for Chicago residents is a high point to recognize but does little to address other racial inequities that are present. Widespread job opportunity is another positive thing to hear, but who is getting hired for these?

    I'd be interested in comparing the Chicago statistics with other U.S. cities to see if trends are comparable.

    ReplyDelete

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