This paper discusses the emergence of complex social-spatial patterns of diversity in cities, and the need for new theoretical and methodological approaches to conceptualize and describe them. The multiculturalism paradigm fails to address deeper understandings of social diversity and its relations. Moreover, contemporary population dynamics, such as global immigration and demographic changes, require approaches that go beyond traditional markers of diversity like country of birth. The super-diversity concept offers a broader approach – it includes a range of descriptive social diversity variables and discusses the unique contexts established by interactions between them. However, further efforts are necessary to refine methodological tools and unpack the conceptual underpinning of super-diversity, particularly regarding how its various dimensions are spatially represented and interconnected.
In response, this paper analyses spatial and demographical data to ask: what patterns of social diversity can be found in a “diverse city” by including and going beyond ethnicity markers? We apply cluster analysis combined with discriminant analysis to reveal the socio-spatial demographics of Melbourne, identifying grouping patterns and highlighting its complex nature. The analysis uncovered an overlay between factors of disadvantage and a particular condition of social diversity, which includes populations targeted by prejudice and exclusion in Australia. Furthermore, the study demonstrates the importance of not directly associating highly ethnically diverse areas with low socioeconomic status and emphasizes the need to consider other factors, such as age and education. Overall, this paper expands the understanding of unique and complex interactions between social differences at a metropolitan scale and provides valuable evidence to support planning policies to foster diverse communities while reducing conditions of social vulnerability.