Exploring the interaction effect of poverty concentration and transit service on highway traffic during the COVID-19 lockdown

During COVID-19 lockdowns, transit agencies need to respond to the decline in travel but also maintain the essential mobility of transit-dependent people. However, there are a few lessons that scholars and practitioners can learn from. Using highway traffic data in the Twin Cities, this study applies a generalized additive model to explore the relationships among the share of low-income population, transit service, and highway traffic during the week that occurred right after the 2020 stay-at-home order. Our results substantiate that transportation impacts are spread unevenly across different income groups and low-income people are less able to reduce travel, leading to equity concerns. Moreover, transit supply influences highway traffic differently in areas with different shares of low-income people. Our study suggests that transportation agencies should provide more affordable travel options for areas with concentrated poverty during lockdowns. In addition, transit agencies should manage transit supply strategically depending on the share of low-income people to better meet people’s mobility needs.

Increasing Inequality and the Changing Spatial Distribution of Income in Tel-Aviv

Despite its egalitarian past, in recent decades Israel followed the footsteps of the United States in terms of growing inequality levels and reduced welfare arrangements. It is assumed, therefore, to have followed similar trends of increasing residential segregation between income groups. This study focuses on the metropolitan area of Tel-Aviv, Israel’s financial and cultural centre and examines the change in the spatial distribution of income groups between the years 1995–2008. It identifies trends in segregation between top and bottom income earners, as well as those between other income groups, given corresponding trends in income inequality. In addition, it examines spatial patterns of affluence and poverty concentration and assesses the influence of concentrated disadvantage among specific income and religious groups on overall segregation trends.

Inequality, Social Mobility, and Racism in Bolivia

Using Bolivia as a case study, this contribution discusses the relationship between racism and social inequality in Latin America. It establishes the role of ethnic and racial categories in the construction of imaginary borders that hinder social mobility among disadvantaged populations. Poverty in Latin America certainly affects the indigenous, Afro-descendants, and mestizos; indeed, the highest poverty indexes are still disproportionately concentrated among indigenous and Afro-descendant communities. These communities usually occupy manual labor positions with low remuneration and high degrees of informalization, while high-skilled, nonmanual positions with higher remuneration and power are concentrated in different communities. This pattern of poverty concentration has not significantly changed in countries, such as Bolivia, with large indigenous populations. In the past few decades, the social policies of progressive governments in Bolivia have managed to reduce extreme poverty at the macroeconomic level; however, these policies have had little effect on reducing social inequality gaps. Moreover, these progressive policies have yet to significantly reduce the entrenched racism that allows for Bolivian social inequalities to persist.

Social Enterprising Observance among B40 Urban Women for Socioeconomic Sustainability

This article explores the enterprising capabilities of economically challenged women in the urban city of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The study assumes that entrepreneurial awareness and entrepreneurial intention are good predictors of women who are socioeconomically sustainable. The study sample comprises the B40 women in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The B40 group refers to the "bottom 40 percent" members of the population, with a monthly household income of RM3,855 and below (USD9451 and below). A total of 404 B40 urban women are drawn from a clustered random sample of four so-called "poor" municipal residents in Kuala Lumpur. A questionnaire survey is used to study their levels of entrepreneurial awareness and intention, administered via the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 22. The data are analysed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA and Pearson Correlation. The findings indicate a significant relationship between their levels of entrepreneurial awareness and entrepreneurial intention with being socioeconomically sustainable. Four important indicators are deduced: 1) upholding economic justice for B40 urban women; 2) reducing urban poverty concentration among women; 3) innovating new working avenues for women homemakers in the informal work sector; and 4) enhancing moral responsibility towards sustaining the natural environment. Based on these empirical outcomes, the research also recommends a suitable approach to social entrepreneurship among women of different ethnic groups. Significantly, it will contribute to the pursuit of community development and national unity.Keywords: B40 women, Entrepreneurial awareness, Entrepreneurial intention, Malaysia, Social enterprising, Sustainability, Urban poverty

On Becoming a District of Choice: Implications for Equity Along the United States–Mexico Border

Purpose: Despite the popularity of open enrollment as a school choice mechanism, there is little research on how principals behave in a district-run competitive setting. This study adds to our understanding of how open enrollment policies affect the role of the principal as well as educational equity by examining the roles and behaviors of school principals in an unregulated marketplace of schools. Research Method: This study uses an explanatory sequential mixed methods approach. We first analyze school-level transfer data for school year 2014-2015 and demographic data in order to examine trends such as poverty concentration as well as to identify “winners,” “losers,” and “nonplayers” in the open enrollment marketplace. Since principals are heavily involved in recruitment, student screening, and selection of specialized programs, we interviewed 12 principals to better understand their role in the competitive settings. Findings: We find that some schools have emerged as “winners” in this marketplace, attracting large numbers of transfers without losing many students, while other principals and schools struggle to overcome a negative perception and find a market niche to attract students. Our quantitative analysis indicates a relatively small relationship between open enrollment and increased segregation in the district. District oversight seems to have prevented worsening segregation. However, many principals seek more control on the screening process raising equity concerns if formal regulations are not provided. Implications: These findings have implications for school and district leaders navigating open enrollment plans as a means to increase enrollments and encourage innovation while also maintaining equity.

A Tale of Hidden Cities

Hidden cities within a city? During the last decade there is a large trending literature concerning urban and suburban poverty concentration patterns. However, few are the cases where adequate data exist at a low spatial level, in order for scientists to explore that kind of socio-spatial phenomena. This paper tries to investigate the evolution of poverty within urban and suburban space, under a multidimensional framework, during a period of severe economic crisis and austerity measures. The metropolitan area of Athens is used as our case study, for which available data at a municipal level enable the calculation of the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) for the years 2006 and 2011. Using cluster analysis based on the MPI values, three groups of municipalities are derived within Athens. For each one of them, a mean MPI index is calculated and then decomposed. The results indicate that there is a clear spatial concentration of poverty in the west suburban areas of Athens. The urban core of the city is characterised by middle-income municipalities, whilst the north-east and the south-east suburban areas experience low-poverty indicators. Finally, the results suggest that during the economic crisis period poor areas were affected the most.