Role of 'Vision' in Neighbourhood Racial Segregation: A Variant of the Schelling Segregation Model

Abstract

The Schelling model of neighbourhood racial segregation is extended to include agents who can authentically 'see' their neighbours up to a distance R, called 'vision'. By exploring the consequences of systematically varying R, an understanding has been developed of how vision interacts with racial preferences and minority concentrations and leads to novel, complex segregation behaviour. Three regimes have been discovered: an unstable regime, where societies invariably segregate; a stable regime, where integrated societies remain stable; and an intermediate regime where a complex behaviour is observed. Detailed results are presented for the symmetrical case (which maximises conflict), where equal numbers of agents of two races occupy the same cityscape. The policy implications of these simulations are briefly indicated.