Divided cities

Nature

Divided cities are urban areas physically, socially, or politically separated by barriers such as walls, ethnic enclaves, or economic disparities. This division often stems from historical conflicts, segregation policies, or ongoing tensions, resulting in unequal access to resources, services, and opportunities. The separation can foster mistrust, limit social cohesion, and perpetuate cycles of poverty and violence. Examples include Berlin during the Cold War, Jerusalem, and Belfast. As a problem, divided cities hinder urban development, exacerbate inequality, and challenge efforts toward reconciliation and inclusive governance, making them critical issues for policymakers and urban planners worldwide.

Background

The phenomenon of divided cities gained global attention in the 20th century, most notably with Berlin’s postwar partition and Jerusalem’s contested status. As urban divisions—whether by walls, ethnic lines, or political boundaries—emerged in cities like Belfast, Nicosia, and Mostar, scholars and policymakers began to recognize their profound social, economic, and psychological impacts. Ongoing conflicts and peace processes have since deepened understanding of how such divisions shape urban life and international relations.

Incidence

There are a number of cities which have been divided legally or de facto by claims from two or more nations of sovereignty over the separate parts: such as Berlin, Jerusalem and Nicosia. Cities like Belfast and Beirut have been divided by hostile religious factions engaged in mutual murders and activities; some bilingual or multilingual cities may have formal or informal language zones or show commercial preferences for one official language above another, giving rise to considerable tensions, as exampled in Montreal, Brussels and Miami. Some governments may have a federal district whose residents have one set of laws and advantages but they are situated within a larger metropolitan region with other local ordinances, taxes and amenities, such as happens in Washington and Canberra. Considerable conflict arises because of disparities between these areas. On a smaller scale, university towns pose the adversity of 'town versus gown', not unlike towns in which there is one major supporting industry where interests of the town corporation and the business corporation do not always coincide.

Claim

The origins of cities, as recorded in the histories concerning Lycurgus, Solon and Numa for example, show that they were inhabited from the beginning, if not created, by confederations of tribes, clans or classes. Thus cities were, from the start, frequently ethnically and economically pluralistic. Jerusalem too had its Hebrews, Jebusites, Hittites and others, as well as classes of priests, scribes, nobles, merchants, farmers, artisans and slaves. Cities represent the opportunity to form the nucleus of nations by bringing diverse elements into cooperation; to be divided is unnatural.

Counter-claim

The notion that divided cities are a significant problem is vastly overstated. Urban divisions—whether cultural, economic, or physical—are natural outcomes of diverse populations and evolving societies. Rather than being a crisis, these divisions foster innovation, competition, and unique identities within cities. Pouring resources into “solving” this so-called problem distracts from more pressing issues like poverty and climate change. Divided cities are simply a reflection of human complexity, not a crisis demanding urgent attention.