Measuring Spatial Segregation in Roma Neighbourhoods of Northern Bulgaria
Nadezhda ILIEVA1, Boris KAZAKOV1, Dimitar ENIKIEV1, Kaloyan TSVETKOV*2
* Corresponding author
1 Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy and Geography, Department of Geography, Sofia, BULGARIA
2 Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Faculty of Geology and Geography, Department of Social and Economic Geography, Sofia, BULGARIA
E-mail: nadeto.ilieva@abv.bg; ORCID: 0000-0001-9553-2509
E-mail: boriskazakov1@gmail.com; ORCID: 0000-0001-7935-1409
E-mail: denikiev@gmail.com; ORCID: 0009-0003-1100-7259
E-mail: tsvetkov.kaloian@gmail.com; ORCID: 0000-0002-6199-5000
Pages: 147-161. DOI: 10.24193/JSSP.2025.2.04
Received: 02 November 2024
Received in revised form: 05 July 2025
Accepted for publication: 16 December 2025
Available online: 25 December 2025
Cite: Ilieva N., Kazakov B., Enikiev D., Tsvetkov K. (2025), Measuring Spatial Segregation in Roma Neighbourhoods of Northern Bulgaria. Journal of Settlements and Spatial Planning, 16(2), 147-161. DOI: 10.24193/JSSP.2025.2.04
Abstract. The Roma represent a significant ethnic minority in post-communist Central and Eastern European countries, often residing in segregated areas resembling slums, inaccurately referred to as “ghettos.” What is special about the Roma ethnic group is that their spatial segregation is both ethnic and social, economic and cultural, which further intensifies the observed negative consequences. Spatial segregation becomes a major cause of social segregation and reproduction of accumulated disadvantages. This study examines ghettoized Roma neighbourhoods in selected towns of Northern Bulgaria, aiming to assess their level of spatial segregation using a set of spatial, demographic and infrastructural indicators. The study’s primary hypothesis is that Roma neighbourhoods experience varying levels of spatial segregation, which directly correlates with broader social segregation. The hypothesis is tested through two complementary approaches to measuring segregation, using a set of quantitative and qualitative indicators. The selection of seven ghettoized urban structures GUSs in Northern Bulgaria was based on data availability at the time of the research, as well as on the diversity of towns. The results show significant variation in segregation levels across the studied neighbourhoods, from low to very strong depending mostly on the values of the so-called primary indicators used for the proposed spatial segregation index. The suggested indices represent a comprehensive way of measuring the differences between deprived neighbourhoods, by using generally accessible data, which is a key factor in studying that type of urban structures. The study fills an existing gap in the research of deprived urban areas by proposing a universally applicable index that can be easily adapted to local conditions.
K e y w o r d s: spatial segregation index, primary and secondary indicators, deprived neighbourhoods, ghettoized urban structures, Roma community