Spatial and Social Dimensions of Roma Segregation and Integration (A Case Study of the City of Kyustendil, Bulgaria)
Spatial and Social Dimensions of Roma Segregation and Integration (A Case Study of the City of Kyustendil, Bulgaria)

Summary/Abstract: The paper presents the results of an empirical sociological study conducted in the Roma ghettoized urban structure of Kyustendil, Bulgaria. Based on the results of in-depth interviews with representatives of local authorities, educational mediators, informal Roma leaders and representatives of the Roma community living in the neighbourhood, the main socio-economic integration problems were established. Additionally, an analysis of the internal structure of the Roma neighbourhood has been performed, with the use of data obtained from aerial photography (UAV data). Since a significant part of the housing stock in Roma neighbourhoods is illegal, in most cases it is not correctly depicted on cadastral maps. Detailed maps of the current state of the Roma neighbourhood have been created, thus compensating for the lack of precise official data on the current state of the housing stock. GIS have been used to measure, analyze and visualize the spatial relationships, patterns and trends in the changes of the internal structure of the Roma neighbourhood in Kyustendil.

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