Paper: Tallinn could end up Europe's most segregated capital
Growing inequality between the wealthy and poor is causing an increasing number of European capitals to become more segregated, and Tallinn has been noted as one such capital in which the process of division between various societal groups, the wealthy and the poor, but also various ethnic groups is taking place the most quickly, according to the study "Socio-Economic Segregation in European Capital Cities: East meets West."
"Tallinn is not yet the most segregated, but rather the city undergoing the most rapid segregation in Europe," Estonian Association of Architects Vice-President Andro Mänd said, noting that if it remains on its current course, it could be the most segregated capital in 25-30 years, daily Positmees writes (link in Estonian).
The study, one of the authors of which was University of Tartu Urban and Population Geography Professor and Estonian Academy of Sciences academic Tiit Tammaru, revealed that dividing lines in the Estonian capital continue to deepen, the most concrete example of which is the district of Lasnamäe.
One suggestion Mänd believed could help halt the process would be a Scandinavian-style overhaul of the city's social housing program — in lieu of building dedicated social housing, which are all currently located in one area, in Lasnamäe, those in need of housing could be placed in municipally-owned apartments located throughout the city.
Mänd believed that halting the process could prevent a situation like that in Paris, in which poorer districts on the edge of the city revolted against the capital's wealthier residents.
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Editor: Aili Vahtla
