When life gives you diversity... : a history of racial diversity and conflict in four Philadelphia neighborhoods, 1960 - 2015

The U.S. population has changed significantly since the 1950s, becoming markedly more racially diverse. Still, a large portion of America’s neighborhoods remain racially segregated – even in large, racially diverse cities, such as Philadelphia (Logan & Stults, 2011). As a result, there is a well-established body of research that has shown that residential segregation consistently produces negative effects for neighborhoods (Massey & Denton, 1993). In response, many scholars and policymakers have suggested that the most promising response to inequality due to segregation is racial residential integration (Denton, 2010; Ellen, 2000; Galster, 1992; Roisman, 2008). However, social science research has produced evidence linking neighborhood diversity or integration to positive and negative outcomes, with respect to civic engagement, resident interaction, disadvantage, and crime (Putnam, 2007; Rountree & Warner, 1999; Sampson & Groves, 1989). Even so, we know very little about why this variation occurs.