ABSTRACT
Patterns of migrant settlement have a major influence on urban spatial development, as exemplified in such developing cities as Rio de Janeiro, Mexico City and Jakarta. Congregation of migrants in urban villages aggravates existing spatial segregation, as many migrants are never fully integrated and become a permanent urban underclass. On the other hand, concentration may help migrants maintain previously established social relations and assert their group identity. Given the persistence of China’s migration trends over the last two decades, migrants have begun to assert their influence on cities’ spatial structure.
