Should we create more socially mixed residential areas, where rich people live next to poorer people, instead of in separated communities?

Socio-spatial segregation can be considered as one of the biggest urban problems nowadays.  It consists on a materialization of the social inequality in the landscape:  the poor and the rich people are separated by the kind, as well as the localization, of their houses, that  are, most of the time, enormously different. Once the poorer people usually live marginalized in bad and small houses, the richer live in great houses or apartment at the best areas of the town. It is a reflection of the combination of a lot of big cities social problems, and  it is caused, in general, by the high costs of the lands and houses allied with the low income of a huge part of the population (what difficult the poor to buy a good residence). Also the lack of urban planning by the governments contributes to this.

As a result of these inequalities, many other problems can be increased- like the criminality. Consequently, those who have conditions, prefer to move to separated areas, like the condos, looking for more security and a better quality of life. However, this can make the situation of segregation worse for those who have less conditions; once the others are “isolated”, these suffer with the difficulties to have access to a lot of places and opportunities  .

As we are all human beings, we have the same rights to have dignity habitations and to be part of and use the down-  not to be marginalized. Considering this, there should be more socially mixed residential areas, as a way to decrease the inequality. However, not only it is necessary houses to be in the same area but they also need to have, at least, some similarities as well as their residents need to have similar opportunities and life quality to live with dignity.