herwig scherabon visually highlights the income inequality within large cities

herwig scherabon’s ‘income inequality’ project, details los angeles’ and chicago’s income levels through a series of abstract data diagrams. the images reveal an architectural aesthetic by showing a high resolution matrix of blocks that mimic the appearance of magnetised iron. the poorest neighbourhoods in the city are clearly distinguishable and stand in distinct contrast to the highest towers belonging to the rich.

the project was exhibited at the glasgow school of art graduate show 

the project which has been shortlisted for the information is beauty awards, aims to highlight the income segregation levels of both cities. herwig scherabon states that there is an obvious divide between rich and poor in modern cities. the patterns and correlations within the urban fabric, as well as the politics behind urban planning, reveal a lot about the people that live in these places and the powers that shape them he says. ‘income inequality’ presents an alternative way of looking at a city, revealing the inequalities and segregation mechanisms that exist in different districts. 

chicago’s infamous south side reveals a significantly low income area

los angeles has very low income areas in and around the downtown area

the image contains 12 million little blocks 

the street grid retains the urban footprint of the respective city

the prints are mounted on thick wooden boards with captions on the side

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: hollie smith | designboom