A neighbourhood can split in two without a single bigot living in it. In the model Thomas Schelling published in 1971, each resident looks at their 8 neighbours and asks only for a modest share of people like themselves, moving to an empty cell whenever that share falls short. At a threshold of 33%, meaning a willingness to be a minority on your own street, the grid still packs itself into distinct red and blue blocks. Leave too few empty cells and the system jams halfway: plenty of unhappy residents with nowhere to go, and segregation left unfinished.
A neighbourhood can split in two without a single bigot living in it. In the model Thomas Schelling published in 1971, each resident looks at their 8 neighbours and asks only for a modest share of people like themselves, moving to an empty cell whenever that share falls short. At a threshold of 33%, meaning a willingness to be a minority on your own street, the grid still packs itself into distinct red and blue blocks. Leave too few empty cells and the system jams halfway: plenty of unhappy residents with nowhere to go, and segregation left unfinished.
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