CAPITAL BATTLES , HABITUS AND SPACE : Urban Segregation in Bursa, Türkiye

Abstract

This article addresses the formation of urban segregation in the global South through the case of Bursa, northwestern Türkiye. While research adopting the political‐economy approach examines urban inequalities through structural processes, it largely neglects social practices. In contrast, Neo‐Bourdieusian urban studies tend to evaluate inequalities through the spatial practices of the middle and upper classes. This divergence in approaches raises a key question: is the unequal distribution of social classes across urban space a passive process dictated by structural constraints, or the result of agents’ spatial practices? Why do social classes prefer different regions to live in, and how do these preferences shape urban segregation? To answer these questions the article adopts Pierre Bourdieu's relational approach, which enables the evaluation of both structural and subjective processes. Within this framework, it argues that agents’ spatial preferences, differentiated by lifestyle, play a significant role in forming urban segregation. The study is based on fieldwork involving the collection of data via a survey focusing on the lifestyle and residential preferences of lower‐, middle‐ and upper‐class groups. The findings reveal that the unequal distribution of capital forms across regions and the spatial preferences of agents play a pivotal role in the formation of inequalities.