Superdiversity and Urban Dynamics

Superdiversity describes the increasingly complex composition of urban populations, characterised by the intersection of multiple variables such as nationality, legal status, language, religion and socioeconomic position. This layered diversity challenges traditional models of urban planning, governance and service provision by demanding more nuanced understandings of how people live, work and interact in cities. Research in this field has examined the ways in which superdiversity reshapes neighbourhood change, labour markets, social cohesion and infrastructures of care. Methodological advances—including multivariate geospatial mapping, mixed-methods fieldwork and relational analyses—have opened new windows onto the evolving patterns of inclusion and exclusion that define contemporary urban life. Insights from European, North American and Asian contexts demonstrate that superdiversity not only calls for policy adaptations in housing, health and transport but also offers opportunities to harness creative economic potential, reinforce intercultural exchange and foster more equitable forms of city-making.

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Superdiversity and Urban Dynamics publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in superdiversity and urban dynamics across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Superdiversity: The condition in which urban populations exhibit complex combinations of characteristics—beyond nationality or ethnicity alone—to include factors such as migration trajectory, legal status, language, religion and socioeconomic position.

Bricolage: The process by which individuals creatively draw on a heterogeneous mix of formal and informal resources—such as public services, community networks and private providers—to address everyday needs in complex environments.

Socio-spatial diversification: The uneven patterning of inclusion and exclusion across urban spaces that emerges from intersecting policy, economic and social processes, resulting in differentiated neighbourhood trajectories and service landscapes.

References

1. Visualizing superdiversity and “seeing” urban socio-economic complexity. Urban Geography (2022).
2. Transnational migrants and the socio-spatial superdiversification of the global city Tokyo. Urban Studies (2022).
3. Migrants’ pathways to aged care: the role of local relationships of care in facilitating access for super-diverse older populations. Ageing and Society (2021).