Exploring the links between neighbourhood boundaries crime, mental health and care

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Social frontiers arise when neighbouring communities are very different in cultural, ethnic, and/or social make-up, with abrupt rather than gradual spatial transitions between them. These cliff edges in the social landscape of our cities and towns represent patterns of human settlement that minimise exposure to the out-group. Emergence of such patterns may reflect growing aversion to the outgroup and so potentially reveal points of tension between communities.

But this limited exposure may itself have consequences. Abrupt boundaries between communities may reinforce territorial and defensive behaviour, heightening aversion to the outgroup. We know from research in social psychology that opportunities for positive contact are vital to building trust between groups. Social frontiers may therefore be especially problematic because they reduce both the opportunity for contact and the potential for that contact to be positive.

About our work 

Our ESRC and NordForsk funded research consortium Life at the Frontier research (2020-2024) helped develop the conceptual groundwork for thinking about social frontiers and why they might be important, and developed ways of measuring their location and prevalence. That research led to a new theoretical framework for thinking about social frontiers and their impacts and to a program of empirical research estimating the location and prevalence of social frontiers across four countries (UK, Norway, Sweden and Netherlands). 

Continuing this research, we are investigating the dynamics of social frontiers, and how they affect those that live and grow up near them. Working as part of an interdisciplinary team spanning urban studies (Gwilym Pryce), economics (Maria Petrillo), social psychology (Miguel Ramos), social geography (Aneta Piekut) and spatial statistics (Duncan Lee, Eleanor Bale) we are deepening our understanding of the multifaceted nature of social frontiers and explore their impacts. How do social frontiers impact mental health, educational development, and social networks? Do social frontiers undermine the protective effects of living near people of your own group, especially for carers and people from minority backgrounds?  Do social frontiers help or hinder the emergence of agglomeration economies and economic development? Could social frontiers offer a practical focus for targeting community cohesion efforts?

Our work on social frontiers has sought to ground the academic and often highly quantitative aspects of the research in experiences and everyday lives of people living near neighbourhood boundaries.  We have done this by engaging with local communities in the UK, Sweden and Norway, talking to them about their experiences, and working with local artists and community workers to develop a conversation around the meaning and implications of social frontiers. Collaborating with Sheffield-based artist/cultural producer Lora Krasteva and Rotherham based visual artist Uzma Rani we organised Blurring the Edges performances, creative events in Sheffield and Rotherham to explore the idea of social frontiers through performance, visual art, augmented reality conversation and debate. Our ‘Blurring the edges’ film highlights how a creative response to research has helped bring people together, changing perceptions, created a platform for dialogue, and helped catalyse new initiatives in the community. 

A direct outcome of our community work in Rotherham has been the creation of the Steel City Community Consultancy. Established to improve the lives of residents and families, particularly in areas affected by social frontiers, SCCC runs sessions and activities ranging from sports and arts-based activities, to employability skills for people aged from pre-school to pensioners, and also provides advice to local community groups on fundraising, capacity building and government support. The organisation was set up by local stakeholders as a direct result of our ESRC/NordForsk funded research with the goal of boosting local agency as a strategic response to the challenges our work highlighted at the local level.

We were also Invited by HM Cabinet Office in 2021 to contribute to Levelling Up policy discussion, subsequently included in briefing packs for senior government officials. Our work received a Letter of commendation from the government's Open Innovation Team, and we were also invited to contribute to a international consultation by The Nordic Council of Ministers (2022) which included key findings from our research. 

Outputs

Theorising the causal impacts of social frontiers: The social and psychological implications of discontinuities in the geography of residential mix  (shortlisted for the Urban Studies Best Article award for “the most innovative and agenda setting article”).

Additional academic outputs

Andersen, H. L., Lindgren, U., & Osland, L. (2026). Consequences of Social Frontiers Segregation for Labour Income: Evidence From Oslo. Population, Space and Place, 32(2), e70242.

Andersen, H. L., Osland, L., & Zhang, M. L. (2023). Labour market integration of refugees and the importance of the neighbourhood: Norwegian quasi-experimental evidence. Journal for Labour Market Research, 57(1), 16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12651-023-00341-y

Binner, A., Timmins, C., & Pryce, G. (2024). Research Briefing: Discrimination in the UK Private Rented Sector, ‘Life at the Frontier’ (LATF) Research Briefing 2. Sheffield: University of Sheffield.

Iyer, A., & Pryce, G. (2024). Theorising the causal impacts of social frontiers: The social and psychological implications of discontinuities in the geography of residential mix. Urban Studies, 61(5), 782-798. https://doi.org/10.1177/00420980231194834

Lee, D., Pryce, G. and Ramos, M. (2025) Do Social Frontiers Matter for Depression? with Duncan Lee (University of Glasgow), Miguel Ramos (University of Birmingham). Sheffield Economic Research Paper Series (SERPS) No. 2025012. 

Lee, D., Petrillo, M., Pryce, G. and Ramos, M. (2025) The causal impacts of social frontiers on mental health and wellbeing: Identifying the challenges and potential solutions (Working Paper).

Myatt, A. J., Lindgren, U., & Osland, L. (2026). Housing Prices and Segregation: The Case of Social Frontiers. Journal of Regional Science, 66(2), 516-541.

Olner, D., Pryce, G., van Ham, M., & Janssen, H. (2024). The conflicting geographies of social frontiers: Exploring the asymmetric impacts of social frontiers on household mobility in Rotterdam. Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science, 51(3), 625-640. https://doi.org/10.1177/23998083231173696

Piekut, A., Pryce, G., Rasool, Z., & Staples, H. (2024). Research Briefing: Social frontiers and community life in Rotherham West, ‘Life at the Frontier’ (LATF) Research Briefing 1. Sheffield: University of Sheffield.

Pryce, G., Wang, Y. P., Chen, Y., Shan, J., & Wei, H. (eds.) (2021). Urban inequality and segregation in Europe and China: Towards a new dialogue. Springer Nature, Open Access: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-74544-8

Staples, H., Piekut, A. and Pryce, G. (2026) Beyond Conflict: A Plural and Relational Perspective on Social Frontiers, Working Paper.

Zhang, M., Piekut, A., Rasool, Z., Warden, L., Staples, H., & Pryce, G. (2024). Using residents and experts to evaluate the validity of areal wombling for detecting social boundaries: A small scale feasibility study. PLOS ONE, 19(8), e0305774. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0305774