From Segregation to Fragmentation: Mapping the Recent Global Literature

Urban fragmentation is a phenomenon that characterizes inequalities and their physical reproduction in the geographical space of cities. (1) Background: This polysemic concept is currently on the rise, as cities become increasingly differentiated and disconnected in their internal dynamics. Research on this topic has increased in recent years, paralleling the growing urban complexity influenced by phenomena such as the 2008 crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. (2) Methods: This study conducts a bibliometric analysis based on a filtered compilation of results extracted from the main indexed bibliographic databases in social sciences for subsequent computer-assisted processing. The objective is to provide a systematic overview of the structure of academic production and to identify its main descriptors. The analysis includes works published in globally indexed media on urban fragmentation, evaluating the progress of recent publications in this area. (3) Results: Findings show a growing and increasingly globalized production, particularly highlighting publications in Latin America, both in case studies and contributions from leading authors and sources with the highest concentration of publications. Thematically, the production leans towards the term fragmentation rather than the classic segregation, focusing on urban spaces and their specificities related to vulnerability and socio-spatial differentiation.