A diachronic investigation of social inequality and spatial segregation in the District of Columbia

Washington DC is one of the gravely affected urban areas by social inequality and its effects. According to the Gini Index of the Population Reference Bureau, the District of Columbia carries an income inequality of 52.8%, the highest percentage within the United States. In this inquiry, we aim to uncover the diverse patterns of inequality and their potential interrelations with the urban form in the District of Columbia in three levels. (1) Mapping inequality: We diachronically map spatial data about land value, household income, race and ethnicity, school and healthcare accessibility and rating, crime data and Covid-19 data. (2) Analysing urban change: We compare and analyse specific areas of the district according to the changes that we track in the diachronic mapping and find potential depriving and decaying areas as well as gentrifying areas. (3) Relating to urban form: We attempt to make sense of these patterns of urban change by relating them to urban form on two levels by means of street network analysis where we analyse the closeness centrality (integration) of street segments and then compare the built form characteristics and urban density measures using Nolli maps. Through this methodology, we aim to reveal how social inequality and spatial segregation
issues relate to urban form in the District of Columbia case.