Desegregating spaces: GPS evidence replicated in two UK contexts shows that youth frequent urban spaces with higher outgroup prevalence after positive intergroup contact

Recent advances in intergroup contact research have drawn on methods from human geography to investigate how segregation shapes, and is shaped by, everyday intergroup experiences. Emerging findings suggest that the phenomena might be reciprocally intertwined, but empirical evidence is limited and mixed. This research tested the reciprocal relationship between everyday intergroup contact and segregation using ecological momentary assessment and GPS-GIS tracking in two segregated UK cities with youth aged 15–17. Study 1 (Belfast; nparticipants=15; ninteractions=115; nGPS-point=633) focused on Catholics-Protestants divisions, and Study 2 (Bradford; nparticipants=30; ninteractions=334; nGPS-point=2868) addressed ethnic segregation among Asian, White, and Black communities. In both studies, youths reported on social interactions throughout six days, while their urban mobility in outgroup spaces was tracked. In Belfast, more mixed districts predicted higher anxiety during intergroup interactions, yet positive intergroup contact was followed by increased visits to outgroup spaces. In Bradford, mixed districts increased the likelihood (but not the quality) of intergroup contact, while the link between positive contact and subsequent outgroup space use was replicated. The findings highlight a virtuous cycle depending on contextual norms by which positive contact and desegregation practices might reinforce each other, arguably demonstrating the potential of intergroup contact for levelling urban divisions.