Inequality and its various manifestations constitute one of the most important problems in cities in this first quarter of the 21st century. The main factors that explain the recent intensity of these processes are related to the effect of globalization and its crises, post-industrial socioeconomic restructuring, neoliberal policies and the progressive dismantling of the welfare state within a planetary urbanization. In this scenario, increasingly complex urban social maps are being configured. And not only processes of residential segregation but also social, physical, morphological and symbolic fragmentation are beginning to be detected in most cities. In recent decades, we have witnessed an emerging social rupture of urban spaces, which is why a scientific analysis of this process is required at the social, spatial and temporal levels. It is considered interesting to open a space for dialogue and reflection that allows for a general conceptualization and case studies of these new urban socio-spatial differentiations. For this, a call is made to send contributions on these topics in this special issue. The need for complementary approaches and methodologies and at various scales is conceived to obtain a more systemic and complex understanding of the processes of differentiation and contemporary urban fragmentation. Papers on any city, area or urban region will be considered, with special interest in the analysis of the contexts, causes and factors that explain the dynamics of urban segregation and fragmentation. Specifically, the special interest of those investigations on the manifestations of residential segregation according to socioeconomic conditions, origin, ethnicity, level of studies, socio-professional qualification, etc. will be valued; as well as those referred to the study of fragmented spaces, their delimitation, conditions and characterization; the existence of residential microsegregation on different scales; or the consideration of the processes and interrelationships between all these dimensions and their multiple causalities and consequences in urban spaces.

Urban Studies; Residential Segregation; Urban Fragmentation; Urban Spaces; Socio-Spatial Differentiation: Minorities; Well-being inequality; Social Justice; Sustainability.