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Life Course and Residential Mobility in Beijing, China

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  • Si-Ming Li

    (Department of Geography, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong)

Abstract

This paper analyzes the residential mobility rate in Beijing over the period 1980–2001 as revealed by retrospective residential histories collected by a questionnaire survey conducted in early 2001. The results show that there was a sharp increase in residential mobility in the early reform period; however, from the mid-1980s onwards the mobility rate has been oscillating, with a slightly downward trend. Adjusting the gross mobility rate observed by means of logit regression estimation shows that this downward trend is more than a statistical artefact. Structural forces are at work continually to restrain residential moves under the reform. The regression results also show that, although there are similarities between the effects of various life-course variables on residential mobility in Beijing and those in cities in market economies, substantial differences are also found. Age exhibits similar curvilinear effects but mobility peaks at a somewhat later age. Homeownership with partial property rights deters mobility by an even greater margin in Beijing than in cities in the West. Change in marital status is important, but does not automatically bring about a change in residence. Birth of a child, moreover, appears to carry minimal weight in residential change. In this sense, the thesis that residential mobility is a housing-adjustment process is less applicable to the case of Beijing than it is in cities in the West.

Suggested Citation

  • Si-Ming Li, 2004. "Life Course and Residential Mobility in Beijing, China," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 36(1), pages 27-43, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:36:y:2004:i:1:p:27-43
    DOI: 10.1068/a35243
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Si-ming Li, 2000. "Housing Consumption in Urban China: A Comparative Study of Beijing and Guangzhou," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 32(6), pages 1115-1134, June.
    2. Jieming Zhu, 1999. "Local Growth Coalition: The Context and Implications of China’s Gradualist Urban Land Reforms," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(3), pages 534-548, September.
    3. Weinberg, Daniel H. & Friedman, Joseph & Mayo, Stephen K., 1981. "Intraurban residential mobility: The role of transactions costs, market imperfections, and household disequilibrium," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 9(3), pages 332-348, May.
    4. W A V Clark, 1992. "Comparing Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Analyses of Residential Mobility and Migration," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 24(9), pages 1291-1302, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Zhao, Pengjun & Zhang, Yixue, 2018. "Travel behaviour and life course: Examining changes in car use after residential relocation in Beijing," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 41-53.
    2. Bing Xu & William A.V. Clark & Eric Fong & Li Gan, 2020. "Introduction to the special collection on life course decisions of families in China," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 43(5), pages 129-142.
    3. Li, Bingqin & Duda, Mark & Peng, Huamin, 2007. "Low-cost urban housing markets: serving the needs of low-wage, rural-urban migrants?," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 21772, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    4. Lingling Su & Suhong Zhou, 2022. "Long-Term Residential Environment Exposure and Subjective Wellbeing in Later Life in Guangzhou, China: Moderated by Residential Mobility History," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-18, October.
    5. Pengyu Zhu, 2016. "Residential segregation and employment outcomes of rural migrant workers in China," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 53(8), pages 1635-1656, June.
    6. Sanqin Mao & Jie Chen, 2021. "Residential Mobility and Post-Move Community Satisfaction: Empirical Evidence from Guangzhou, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-14, July.
    7. Fulong Wu & Nicholas A Phelps, 2011. "(Post)Suburban Development and State Entrepreneurialism in Beijing's Outer Suburbs," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 43(2), pages 410-430, February.
    8. Si-ming Li & Sanqin Mao & Huimin Du, 2019. "Residential mobility and neighbourhood attachment in Guangzhou, China," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 51(3), pages 761-780, May.
    9. Can Cui & Stan Geertman & Pieter Hooimeijer, 2015. "Residential Mobility of Skilled Migrants in Nanjing, China," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 47(3), pages 625-642, March.
    10. Donggen Wang & Si-Ming Li, 2004. "Housing Preferences in a Transitional Housing System: The Case of Beijing, China," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 36(1), pages 69-87, January.
    11. Brian Lee & Paul Waddell, 2010. "Residential mobility and location choice: a nested logit model with sampling of alternatives," Transportation, Springer, vol. 37(4), pages 587-601, July.
    12. Xiaoting Jia & Jun Lei, 2019. "Residential Mobility of Locals and Migrants in Northwest Urban China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(13), pages 1-23, June.
    13. Bangkim Biswas & Bishawjit Mallick & Nasif Ahsan & Rupkatha Priodarshini, 2022. "How Does the Rohingya Influx Influence the Residential Satisfaction and Mobility Intentions of the Host Communities in Bangladesh?," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 1311-1340, September.
    14. Ruoniu Wang & Rebecca Walter & Abdulnaser Arafat & Jie Song, 2019. "Understanding the role of life events on residential mobility for low-income, subsidised households," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 56(8), pages 1628-1646, June.

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