Place matters: Investigating neighbourhood effects on educational achievement in urban Bangladesh

In much of the Global South, poor educational outcomes remain a persistent concern, yet the influence of neighbourhood environments on academic achievement has received limited attention in mainstream education and urban planning literature. This paper examines how spatial and social characteristics of neighbourhoods shape educational performance, drawing on primary data from 935 individuals across four socio-economically diverse neighbourhoods in Khulna, Bangladesh. Using a binary logistic regression model, the analysis finds that both objective and perceived neighbourhood conditions significantly influence educational achievement. Top five influencing factors include long-term residency, the use of neighbourhood open spaces, crowding, perceived quality of neighbourhood schools, and access to educational resources. Conversely, individual attributes such as age, gender, or experience of crime show weaker associations with academic success. The findings point to a clear relationship between neighbourhood-level deprivation and lower educational achievement, particularly in low-wealth, unplanned settlements. By highlighting the importance of locally rooted planning and governance structures, the study argues for educational policy frameworks that integrate neighbourhood-based interventions. Strengthening the physical and social environments of urban communities—especially in informal settlements—should be seen not only as a strategy for urban development but as a necessary condition for improving educational equity in rapidly urbanising contexts.