Segregated by whom? Examining triple neighbourhood disadvantages and activity spaces in Seoul, South Korea

This study explores the potential mechanisms by which neighbourhood isolation is created and reinforced in non-home activity locations. The existing discussion on neighbourhood isolation, its consequences, and the subsequent reproduction of interactions between individuals and their environment has focused on their residential locations. However, the vitality of a neighbourhood depends not only on its own socioeconomic conditions but also on the conditions of the other neighbourhoods its residents visit and are visited by. Residential locations are only one of the many spaces in which individuals engage in their activities; therefore, to fully comprehend people’s everyday experiences of integration and isolation, it is imperative to look at interactions within both home and non-home activity spaces. Building on this extended perspective, we examine: (1) whether residential neighbourhood isolation is intensified by socioeconomic conditions individuals’ encounter in consumption and commuting activity spaces; and (2) which socioeconomic group drives the association between residential neighbourhood isolation and activity spaces—whether both disadvantaged and privileged groups contribute to isolation through the differential use of urban space or either group predominantly leads this association. We use Seoul as a case study, characterised as a city that is highly populated, contains multiple economic centres, functions with a highly affordable and efficient public transportation system, and suffers from increasing socioeconomic segregation. The results suggest that mobility patterns in activity spaces tend to reinforce neighbourhood isolation through potential forces driven by neighbourhood homophily. Isolation in the use of urban spaces appears to be driven mainly by the self-seclusion of the most advantaged neighbourhood group, while neighbourhoods in the lower socioeconomic status groups indicate broader cross-interactions across status groups, probably because of Seoul’s transit-friendly environment. Our study contributes to enhancing the understanding of spatial-societal inequalities in Korea and beyond and could assist in formulating policies for a more balanced provision of diverse urban social services and infrastructure.