Society

The centralization of opportunities in Brazilian cities, mapped

cities Passengers are seen by bus at Salvador's Lapa Station. Photo: Joa Souza
Passengers wait for their bus at Salvador’s Lapa Station. Photo: Joa Souza

Jobs are poorly distributed in Brazil’s state capital cities, as shown by a recent study from the Institute of Applied Economic Research (Ipea). Researchers found similar patterns among 20 of the country’s biggest cities, with what they called “deserts of opportunities” on the outskirts of these urban centers.

“The concentration of jobs in central urban areas, along with the connectivity of transportation networks results in high-accessibility areas close to the center of cities. Those central areas are in stark contrast with peripheral regions, characterized as deserts of opportunity, with low levels of development and poorly served by urban infrastructure and public transportation,” wrote study authors Rafael H. M. Pereira, Carlos Kauê Vieira Braga, Bernardo Serra, and Vanessa Gapriotti Nadalin.

“The results suggest that white and high-income populations have on average more access to work, healthcare and education opportunities than black and poor populations in all the cities studied, regardless of their means of...

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