Assessing the Hypothesis of the ‘Geography of Opportunities’ in the Light of the Concept of Neighborhood Effects: Empirical Evidence from a Research Conducted in Salvador, Brazil

Abstract

This article addresses different methodological proposals that analyze the mechanisms of the concept of neighborhood effects. Based on a case study conducted in five low-income neighborhoods in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, we investigate under what conditions proximity to elite neighborhoods expands the geographies of opportunity. It is pointed out that social and economic articulations between socially distant groups decline in peripheral neighborhoods due to the lack of public spaces, which is combined with the physical isolation of elite condominiums, and to high crime rates. In conclusion, we plead for a holistic approach to social inequalities in urban policies.