This paper explores the problem of fragmenting social networks enabled by spatialdistancing between distinct socioeconomic classes. Such fragmentation is evidenced by theexperience of urban sprawl without population growth. We develop a prototype model toexamine the spatial dynamics of social network evolution in the face of neighborhood migration.This model draws upon the small world analogy by using an initial template of connections thatare “rewired” over time. Spatially, connections are established for neighborhood proximity.Socially, connections are added based upon similarity of economic class. Migration patternsthus affect the probability of rewiring social connections. In effect, the probability of rewiringbecomes endogenous as the network evolves over time. Analyses are conducted to explore therelative cohesiveness of the emergent community networks, and the income differentials betweenneighborhoods. The development of this abstract model is discussed in relation to furtherapplication and calibration to a real-world case community.
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