Addressing the Twin Challenges of Inequality and Violence

Rising inequalities are hastening the divergence between thriving and stagnant cities around the world. Inequalities are also widening within fast-growing and mature cities alike. This is dangerous. Spatial and social inequalities are key determinants of everything from social mobility to life expectancy. The neighborhood in which a person is born and lives matters fundamentally to their (and their children's) life chances. Indeed, people living in environments characterized by high levels of social, economic, gender, and racial inequality tend to be more exposed to violence and victimization than those who are not. Study after study shows that neighborhoods with higher levels of income inequality and concentrated disadvantage experience higher levels of unrest and violent crime. The failure to address these issues has dramatically reduced equality of opportunity and outcomes across generations.

Unequal cities typically suffer from higher rates of violence than the national average. Moreover, violence, like inequality, is typically concentrated in a relatively small proportion of a city's neighborhoods and reproduced within very specific social networks. Large parts of the world's most violent cities—such as Acapulco or Cape Town—may have very low levels of violent crime, while in others it may be several orders of magnitude higher. In Bogota, for example, more than 98 percent of all intentional homicide events occur in less than 2 percent of the street segments. In Boston, just 3 percent of micro-places account for more than 50 percent of all gun violence incidents and roughly 85 percent of gunshot injuries occur within a single network representing less than 6 percent of the population.

A growing number of cities are prioritizing inequality and violence reduction. This is more radical than it sounds. After all, local governments are often wary about acknowledging the challenges of inequality and violence fearing that it may negatively affect investment, tourism, real estate markets, and voter perceptions. Yet several cities and inter-city networks have started drawing attention to the issue and taking action. In some cities, urban planners and police are focusing on hot spots with urban renewal and upgrading programs to improve services, housing, and mobility as well as on problem-oriented policing strategies that incentivize community engagement. To mitigate social disorganization, public, private, and civic leaders are reinforcing collective efficacy—including through early childhood programs, parental support measures, and targeting at-risk young people with cognitive behavioral therapy to avoid delinquent behaviors and peer-groups.

Another way that cities are addressing the twin challenges of inequality and violence is by addressing the specific needs of vulnerable groups. Improving access to jobs and life skills, especially for young men, is critical and can generate dramatic declines in social tension and violence. Likewise, some urban authorities are rethinking immigration, especially since there is a demonstrated positive correlation in North American and European cities between high concentrations of migrant populations and declines in violence. The reasons for this are various and likely connected to a high motivation to work, a desire to avoid flouting the law, and strong social ties. The key is to avoid reinforcing spatial segregation, however, since this can entrench inequality and related social and economic harms.

Robert Muggah is Co-Founder of the Igarapé Institute and a Principal of The SecDev Group. He is also a senior advisor at McKinsey’s and non-resident faculty of Singularity University. He is known for his work on urbanization, security, migration, and new technologies.

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