An Approach for Measuring Urban Deprivation Change: The Example of East Montréal and the Montréal Urban Community, 1986 – 96

The concept of urban deprivation has emerged as an important theme in urban geography and urban studies. In light of the significant problems and issues affecting cities in North America and Europe there is a growing need for researchers to acquire a better understanding of the process of urban social change. In this paper the author proposes a model of urban deprivation change and applies it with the use of census indicators to East Montréal, a section of the central city, and the Montréal Urban Community. The changing spatial structure and nature of urban deprivation is examined at the neighbourhood level in this study area over the period 1986 – 96. The author finds that urban deprivation is largely an economic problem, with declining conditions apparent throughout a large part of Montréal's central city and in several inner-suburban municipalities. The model, selection of indicators, and statistical techniques presented in this paper can be used as a guide for further research into urban deprivation change in other urban centres.