Residential segregation in Prague and Central Bohemian Region 2012–2018: a multiscalar approach using individualized neighbourhoods

The aim of this text is to describe and compare the residential segregation of foreigners in Prague and Central Bohemian region in years 2012–2018. The distribution of foreigners is measured using a new method of individualized scalable neighbourhoods. This method allows to compare the distribution of minority and majority population on multiple scales and does not depend on the statistical-administrative division of the territory. The additional focus is on (non-)Slavic and (non-)EU migrants in particular and it explores the effects of cultural closeness and legal status on residential segregation. The analysis is based on detailed data on the foreign population from the records of the Ministry of the Interior. The study provided a clear evidence of decreasing segregation in Prague and in Prague and Central Bohemian Region between 2012 and 2018. Residential segregation of the culturally close group is generally lower than the culturally more distant group, EU citizens proved to be more equally distributed as opposed to non-EU citizens. The conclusion evaluate the merits of the novel methodology and discusses implications of current findings.