Segregation and Spatial Inequality: Enduring Lessons and Unresolved Challenges. John R. Logan in Conversation with Niccolò Morelli

Abstract

This interview with John R. Logan reflects on more than four decades of contributions to urban sociology, from Urban Fortunes to contemporary research on segregation and spatial inequality. Logan retraces the intellectual influences that shaped his work, particularly Immanuel Wallerstein’s macro-comparative perspective and Paul Lazarsfeld’s quantitative methodology, highlighting how he combined structural theorizing with rigorous empirical analysis. Revisiting the legacy of the Chicago School, he argues that theories should be judged not as right or wrong, but as more or less useful for addressing specific questions about urban life. A central theme of the conversation is the persistence of racial and ethnic segregation, examined through a long-term historical lens that traces contemporary inequalities back to the late 19th century. Logan emphasizes the importance of spatial scale, the interplay between state and market, and the value of mixed methods — especially the integration of ethnography with large-scale data. Ultimately, he defends the enduring relevance of urban sociology, insisting that the discipline advances not through data alone, but through the continual reframing of fundamental questions about inequality and the organization of space.