Neighbourhood Mobility in Context: Household Moves and Changing Neighbourhoods in the Netherlands

Abstract

This is the author's Post-print version (final draft post-refereeing as accepted for publication by the journal). The definitive, peer-reviewed and edited version of this AbstractAlthough high levels of population mobility are often viewed as a problem at the neighbourhood level we know relatively little about what makes some neighbourhoods more mobile than others. The main question in this paper is to what extent differences in out-mobility between neighbourhoods can be explained by differences in the share of mobile residents, or whether other neighbourhood characteristics also play a role. To answer this question we focus on the effects of the socio-economic status and ethnic composition of neighbourhoods and on neighbourhood change. Using data from the Netherlands population registration system and the Housing Demand Survey we model population mobility at both individual and neighbourhood levels. The aggregate results show that the composition of the housing stock and the neighbourhood population explain most of the variation in levels of neighbourhood out-mobility. At the same time although ethnic minority groups in the Netherlands are shown to be relatively immobile, neighbourhoods with concentrations of ethnic minorities have the highest population turnover. The individual level models show that people living in neighbourhoods, with an increase in the percentage of ethnic minorities are more likely to move, except when they belong to an ethnic minority group themselves. The evidence suggests that "white flight" and "socio-economic flight" are important factors in neighbourhood change.

Neighbourhood Choice and Neighbourhood Reproduction

“…The primary driver of these decisions is household dissatisfaction with the existing dwelling in relation to household preferences and needs (Brown and Moore, 1970;Clark and Dieleman, 1996). The role of neighbourhood characteristics in mobility decisions has received less attention, but the body of literature which includes neighbourhood characteristics in models of residential mobility is growing (Clark and Ledwith, 2006;Feijten and van Ham, 2009;Kearns and Parkes, 2003;Lee et al, 1994;Permentier et al, 2009;van Ham and Clark, 2009;van Ham and Feijten, 2008). Studies investigating the second step in the decision making process (the choice of destination) have mainly focused on dwelling types (tenure, size, price) and less attention has been paid to location and neighbourhood characteristics.…”

“…Neighbourhoods dominated by younger age groups, single adults, and with a high proportion of dwellings in the rental sectors are likely to have the highest turnover rates. Such neighbourhoods are also associated with lower income groups and tend to have higher proportions of non-native residents (Andersson and Bråmå 2004;van Ham and Clark 2009).…”

“…Friedrichs, 1991;Andersson and Bråmå, 2004 for studies on the reproduction of poverty neighbourhoods). Bailey and Livingstone (2007) have shown that the primary drivers of vacancy rates are demographic mix and housing stock characteristics (see also van Ham and Clark, 2009). Neighbourhoods dominated by younger age groups, single adults, and with a high proportion of dwellings in the rental sectors are likely to have the highest turnover rates.…”

“…There is now increasing empirical evidence that characteristics of the residential context play a role in explaining moving behaviour van Ham and Clark, 2009;van Ham and Feijten, 2008). Both the socioeconomic status of neighbourhoods (Harris, 1999) and the ethnic mix of the neighbourhood population (Clark, 1992;Crowder, 2000) have been linked to residential mobility decisions.…”

The Ethnic Dimensions of Suburbanisation in Estonia

“…For example, discriminatory practices towards minorities in the housing and labour markets, or the preference to live together with co-ethnics, could decrease the likelihood that ethnic minorities will leave cities. The literature on 'white flight' suggests that high concentrations of ethnic minorities in cities could lead to higher out-migration rates for the majority population (Bolt et al 2008;Crowder et al 2011;Frey and Liaw 1998;van Ham and Clark 2009;van Ham and Feijten 2008). For example, in the UK it has been found that members of both the minority and the majority populations leave ethnic areas, but minorities do it at a somewhat lower rate (Simpson and Finney 2009).…”