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Urban environmental quality and out-migration intentions

Author

Listed:
  • Jiří Balcar

    (VSB – Technical University of Ostrava)

  • Jan Šulák

    (VSB – Technical University of Ostrava)

Abstract

Many large and industrial cities all around the world suffer from out-migration. It is usually connected with a loss of qualified labour force, suboptimal use of housing and city infrastructure, decrease in investments, etc., resulting in limited development potential. This article investigates the importance of urban environmental quality—especially pollution—for potential out-migration. In addition, it brings two innovative aspects to earlier studies on environmental migration: (a) exploring the influence of subjective perception of pollution, not only its objective level (corresponding to the theory of planned behaviour), (b) examining the different migration strategies instead of one binomial ‘stay or leave’ strategy. A representative sample of 3845 individuals from the city of Ostrava, Czech Republic (the third largest city in the country), which ranks among cities with the most polluted air in the Europe, was used for this purpose. The results suggest that (a) both the quality of natural environment and its subjective perception represent important and highly significant predictors of out-migration intentions, (b) different kinds of pollution lead to different migration strategies, (c) drain of young and educated workers is further strengthened by low quality of the natural environment.

Suggested Citation

  • Jiří Balcar & Jan Šulák, 2021. "Urban environmental quality and out-migration intentions," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 66(3), pages 579-607, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:anresc:v:66:y:2021:i:3:d:10.1007_s00168-020-01030-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s00168-020-01030-1
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • R23 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • C25 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Discrete Regression and Qualitative Choice Models; Discrete Regressors; Proportions; Probabilities

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