Social segregation is a subject common in contemporary studies of metropolitan areas. Until recently, studies of segregation focused on the distribution of ethnic groups, immigrants, and the poor. Today, they also cover additional indicators such as demographic properties, education, and affiliation with social and professional categories, which can also serve to determine the causes of the segregation (including the self-segregation of the rich). This article aims to point out the measures of segregation that present the segregation levels in the most complete manner, along with their application in the context of three European metropolitan areas: Warsaw, Berlin, and Paris. The first part of the article is a review of the existing approaches to segregation measures, followed by the selection of research method, presentation of the analysis’ results, and evaluation of the applied methods; presenting the opportunities and limitations in research of the social segregation phenomenon.

The aim of the work detailed in this article has been to indicate demographic and social categories to the greatest extent segregated in the three selected metropolitan areas of Warsaw, Berlin and Paris, by applying multidimensional analysis; as well as to answer a question as to whether these categories are similar or different, given the different circumstances underpinning the development of the areas under study. The metropolitan areas were selected from Central Europe (Warsaw), Western Europe (Paris), and from the area located in the borderland between these regions (Berlin). In the case of each area, typical categories were selected for analysis, and developed on the basis of accepted segregation indices (the dissimilarity index D, isolation index x P x , delta index DEL, absolute centralisation index ACE, spatial proximity index SP and modified location quotient LQ p ). The multidimensional and multifaceted analysis allowed the most segregated groups at municipality and district levels to be distinguished, and presented in the context of previous research.

The aim of this article is to answer two questions concerning the scale and the pattern of residential segregation in Warsaw at the local level and the character of contemporary processes accompanying and modifying this phenomenon. While examining residential segregation we have applied a multidimensional approach to underline the complex nature of this phenomenon. We have focused on data concerning different demographic and socio-economic categories. Furthermore we indicate and describe three socio-spatial, contemporary processes that have accompanied an increase in social inequalities in Warsaw (the creation of enclaves of poverty and wealth and the process of gentrification). The research reveals increasing social inequalities at the local level that began in the socialist era and have strengthened during the transformation period, as well as the stability of the socio-spatial pattern in selected districts that influence their local specifics.

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