Metropolitan divergence segregation patterns in New York and Detroit

Segregation is usually defined in terms of limiting a certain ethnic group to a single area through discriminatory institutional practices like racially restrictive covenants or redlining. However, segregation is also affected by household decisions and demographic processes. Through the mid-twentieth century, cities like Detroit had stagnant segregation levels, but cities like New York experienced substantial decline in measured residential segregation. In New York, "white flight" surprisingly served to decrease segregation levels, as whites disproportionately vacated majority white neighborhoods and were more willing to move to more integrated areas.