Exploring Segregation and Sharing in Belfast: A PGIS Approach

Jonathan Huck, Duncan Whyatt, Brendan Sturgeon, John Dixon, Bree Hocking, Gemma Davis, Neil Jarman, Dominic Bryan

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29 Citations (Scopus)
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Abstract

This article presents a novel exploratory investigation into the location and characteristics of spaces that are segregated and shared between Protestant and Catholic communities in Belfast, Northern Ireland (UK). Focusing upon a particularly segregated part of the city, this study uses state of the art participatory GIS and visualisation techniques to create qualitative, ‘bottom up’ maps of segregation and sharing within the city, as experienced by the people who live there. In doing so, it identifies important and previously un-reported patterns in segregation and sharing between sectarian communities, whilst challenging normative approaches to participatory GIS, illustrating how alternative methods might provide deeper insights into complex social geographies such as those of segregation. Finally, the findings of this work are formulated into a set of hypotheses that can contribute to a future research agenda into segregation and sharing, both in Belfast and in other divided cities.
Original languageEnglish
JournalAnnals of the Association of American Geographers
Early online date13 Nov 2018
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 02 Jan 2019

Keywords

  • Belfast
  • methodology
  • segregation
  • peace building
  • interfaces
  • conflict

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