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Influence factors on settlement intention for floating population in urban area: a China study

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Abstract

Floating population has had a tremendous impact on China’s urban development in the past three decades. Understanding this population’s settlement intention in cities is crucial for China’s process of urbanization. Based on a nationwide survey, this paper focuses on the floating population’s intention for urban settlement and effect factors. The empirical evidence shows that more than half of migrants provide positive answers to the question about long-term settlement plan. Using logistic regression model, factors including socio-economic, occupational, institutional, neighbourhood and origin–destination characteristics are examined. Results indicate that majority of the variables are significantly associated with settlement intention. For example, having more welfare benefits, self-occupied housing and better social integration are representative indications of a long-term settlement plan. This study also highlights non-physical neighbourhood characteristics such as social participation, interaction with locals, and migrant’s attitude to the destination city as important factors of settlement intention.

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Acknowledgments

This work is financially supported by the National 985 Project of Non-traditional Security at Huazhong University of Science and Technology and National Natural Science Found of China (Grant No. 41401631) and National Social Science Fund of China (Grant No. 13CJY035). Authors are thankful to the anonymous reviewers for their comments and suggestions. Any remaining errors are the authors’ own responsibility.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Public Administration, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, People’s Republic of China

    Shukui Tan, Yanan Li, Min Zhou, Lu Zhang & Bing Kuang

  2. Department of City and Regional Planning, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, 27599, USA

    Yanan Li & Yan Song

  3. Key Laboratory for Geographical Process Analysis & Simulation, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, People’s Republic of China

    Xiang Luo

Authors
  1. Shukui Tan
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  2. Yanan Li
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  3. Yan Song
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  4. Xiang Luo
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  5. Min Zhou
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  6. Lu Zhang
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  7. Bing Kuang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yanan Li.

Appendices

Appendix 1

 

x1

x2

x3

x4

x5

x6

x7

x8

x9

x10

x11

x12

x1

1

           

x2

−0.0553

1

          

x3

−0.0547

0.3602

1

         

x4

−0.0196

0.0228

0.2075

1

        

x5

−0.0043

−0.0562

−0.1632

−0.067

1

       

x6

−0.0259

−0.0115

0.0715

0.255

−0.0012

1

      

x7

0.1211

0.0319

−0.0439

−0.0345

0.0576

−0.066

1

     

x8

0.136

0.0873

−0.0122

−0.066

−0.0135

0.0161

0.1338

1

    

x9

0.2725

0.1176

−0.0107

−0.0494

0.0429

−0.1207

0.2446

0.6359

1

   

x10

0.1682

0.0551

−0.0525

−0.0492

0.0533

−0.0642

0.1657

0.5006

0.5962

1

  

x11

0.0079

−0.0086

0.0446

0.4305

0.0023

0.1733

0.009

−0.0421

−0.0089

−0.0211

1

 

x12

−0.0039

−0.0631

−0.0419

0.01

0.0867

0.1069

−0.0077

−0.0409

−0.1103

−0.0625

−0.0054

1

x13

−0.0159

0.0423

−0.0006

0.0939

0.0923

0.0545

0.018

0.021

0.0501

0.0057

0.1186

−0.0824

x14

0.0121

0.0089

0.0215

0.0517

−0.0043

0.0707

−0.0151

−0.0024

0.0236

0.0026

0.0404

0.0281

x15

−0.0002

−0.0069

−0.0042

0.0859

0.0432

0.0758

0.0106

−0.0194

0.0043

0.0056

0.0849

0.0177

x16

−0.0332

−0.0029

0.0448

0.141

0.0453

0.0898

−0.0079

−0.0664

−0.0217

−0.031

0.0888

0.0276

x17

−0.0001

0.0024

0.0294

0.1354

0.0521

0.0242

0.0043

−0.0571

0.0428

0.0052

0.1298

−0.1177

x18

0.018

−0.0079

−0.0223

−0.0171

0.0271

−0.0145

−0.0026

−0.0102

0.0109

0.0081

−0.0155

0.0102

x19

−0.0006

−0.0209

−0.0352

0.0177

0.0426

−0.003

0.0038

−0.0193

0.0123

0.0107

0.0144

0.0005

x20

−0.0327

0.0267

0.0825

0.0111

−0.0743

0.0314

−0.0201

0.0087

−0.0565

−0.0288

−0.0099

0.0179

x21

0.016

0.0065

0.0117

0.0047

−0.0664

−0.0642

−0.0458

−0.0326

0.0594

0.021

0.0002

−0.2686

x22

−0.005

0.0169

0.034

−0.0171

0.0162

−0.0179

0.0223

0.0561

0.0589

0.0273

0.0309

−0.0938

x23

−0.0275

0.0029

−0.0064

−0.0651

−0.04

−0.1546

0.0713

−0.0405

0.0804

0.0128

−0.0392

−0.2527

 

x13

x14

x15

x16

x17

x18

x19

x20

x21

x22

x23

x1

           

x2

           

x3

           

x4

           

x5

           

x6

           

x7

           

x8

           

x9

           

x10

           

x11

           

x12

           

x13

1

          

x14

0.0356

1

         

x15

0.074

0.2579

1

        

x16

0.0542

0.3158

0.237

1

       

x17

0.1364

0.0875

0.0854

0.1165

1

      

x18

0.0026

0.0281

0.0132

0.0238

0.0336

1

     

x19

0.0128

0.0454

0.028

0.049

0.0553

0.3838

1

    

x20

−0.0596

−0.0922

−0.0617

−0.0782

−0.1155

−0.1508

−0.1458

1

   

x21

0.0704

0.0566

0.0329

0.0579

0.2211

0.0289

0.0387

−0.0898

1

  

x22

0.0444

0.0087

0.0275

0.0021

0.0492

0.0055

0.0111

−0.033

0.1387

1

 

x23

0.0189

0.0091

0.0684

0.0321

0.1218

−0.0045

0.0207

−0.0405

0.2715

0.4014

1

Appendix 2

Independent variables

Model 1

Model 2

Model 3

Model 4

B

SE

Cd

B

SE

Cd

B

SE

Cd

B

SE

Cd

Constant

0.519***

0.017

 

0.212***

0.020

 

−0.821***

0.062

 

−0.261***

0.065

 

X1 Gender (Ref. = male)

 Female

−0.036**

0.016

1.18

−0.045***

0.016

1.18

−0.075***

0.017

1.19

−0.076***

0.017

1.19

X2 Age(years) (Ref. = middle 25–50)

 Young < 25

−0.147***

0.025

1.65

−0.099***

0.025

1.67

−0.093***

0.026

1.67

−0.115***

0.027

1.67

 Old 50–60

−0.280***

0.033

1.04

−0.278***

0.033

1.04

−0.294***

0.035

1.04

−0.312***

0.035

1.05

X3 Marital status (Ref. = married)

 Single

−0.037

0.023

1.68

−0.049**

0.023

1.68

0.181***

0.025

1.72

0.186***

0.025

1.73

X4 Educational attainment (Ref. = junior high school and below)

 Senior high school

0.249***

0.019

1.10

0.211***

0.019

1.15

0.184***

0.020

1.16

0.187***

0.020

1.16

 Vocational school and college levels and above

0.666***

0.030

1.23

0.543***

0.032

1.45

0.526***

0.033

1.48

0.491***

0.034

1.48

X5 Duration of residence (years) (Ref. = short-term < 5)

 Medium-term 5–20

0.474***

0.016

1.07

0.431***

0.016

1.08

0.340***

0.017

1.11

0.294***

0.017

1.12

 Long-term 20–65

0.740***

0.061

1.03

0.688***

0.062

1.03

0.501***

0.063

1.04

0.410***

0.064

1.04

X6 Medical insurance status (Ref. = no)

 Yes

0.522***

0.022

1.35

0.486***

0.023

1.37

0.446***

0.023

1.39

0.367***

0.024

1.41

 Unclear

−0.018

0.050

1.01

−0.060

0.050

1.01

0.086

0.053

1.02

0.018

0.053

1.02

X7 Relative income level in comparison with local residents’ (Ref. = comparable 0.5–1.5)

 Lower < 0.5

0.386***

0.019

1.57

0.357***

0.019

1.58

0.472***

0.020

1.59

0.386***

0.020

1.62

 Higher > 1.5

−0.113**

0.025

1.09

−0.116***

0.025

1.09

−0.171***

0.026

1.10

−0.096***

0.027

1.12

X8 Industry (Ref. = tertiary industry)

 Primary industry

0.438***

0.049

1.31

0.526***

0.049

1.32

0.413***

0.052

1.36

0.360***

0.052

1.37

 Secondary industry

−0.406***

0.018

1.23

−0.416***

0.018

1.23

−0.325***

0.019

1.27

−0.411***

0.020

1.30

 Not easily classified

−0.123***

0.033

2.60

−0.076**

0.033

2.61

−0.212***

0.034

2.65

−0.164***

0.034

2.65

X10 Nature of employment unit (Ref. = private-owned)

 State-owned

−0.096***

0.033

1.17

−0.070**

0.033

1.18

−0.079**

0.035

1.18

−0.007

0.035

1.19

 Collective-owned

0.132***

0.045

1.29

0.154***

0.045

1.29

0.132***

0.047

1.29

0.177***

0.047

1.29

 Foreign-funded

0.023

0.039

1.20

−0.029

0.039

1.20

0.044

0.041

1.21

−0.067

0.041

1.21

 Not easily classified

0.118***

0.024

2.23

0.145***

0.024

1.24

0.129***

0.025

2.24

0.128***

0.026

2.24

X11 Hukou status (Ref. = agricultural)

 Non-agricultural

   

0.283***

0.023

1.30

0.275***

0.024

1.32

0.241***

0.025

1.32

 Unclear

   

−0.234

0.172

1.00

−0.189

0.180

1.00

−0.173

0.182

1.00

X12 Temporary residence permits (Ref. = no)

 Yes

   

0.474***

0.016

1.08

0.534***

0.016

1.11

0.322***

0.017

1.24

 Unclear or unsuited

   

−0.013

0.062

1.03

0.137**

0.066

1.03

0.119*

0.066

1.03

X13 Housing type (Ref. = rental housing by private accommodation)

 Low-rent housing provided by government

      

0.572***

0.161

1.00

0.544***

0.161

1.00

 Free housing provided by employer or borrowed housing

      

−0.306***

0.025

1.12

−0.351***

0.025

1.13

 Self-occupied housing

      

0.265***

0.024

1.24

0.284***

0.024

1.25

 Informal housing

      

−0.222***

0.035

1.03

−0.221***

0.035

1.03

X14 Participation in community activities (Ref. = no)

 Yes

      

0.062***

0.019

1.18

0.070***

0.019

1.18

X15 Participation in elections (Ref. = no)

 Yes

      

−0.036

0.027

1.13

0.025

0.027

1.14

X16 Participation in public service activities (Ref. = no)

 Yes

      

0.102***

0.018

1.19

0.135***

0.018

1.19

X17 Interpersonal status (Ref. = interact with floaters coming from hometown)

 Rarely interact with people

      

−0.109***

0.026

1.15

−0.052*

0.027

1.16

 Interact with other floaters

      

0.168***

0.028

1.15

0.171***

0.028

1.15

 Interact with locals coming from hometown

      

0.179***

0.025

1.20

0.290***

0.026

1.22

 Interact with other locals

      

0.048**

0.020

1.37

0.168***

0.020

1.42

X18 Attitude towards the current place of residence (Ref. = dislike)

 Like

      

0.716***

0.055

1.22

0.718***

0.055

1.22

X19 Concerm about the current place of residence (Ref. = no)

 Yes

      

0.573***

0.044

1.21

0.610***

0.044

1.21

X20 Happiness (Ref. = better than that at the place of origin)

 Same as that at the place of origin

      

−0.949***

0.016

1.07

−0.981***

0.017

1.07

 Worse than that at the place of origin

      

−1.717***

0.058

1.05

−1.789***

0.058

1.05

X21 Floating range (Ref. = Inter-provincial)

 Intra-provincial

         

−0.002

0.020

1.36

 Intra-city

         

−0.353***

0.024

1.37

X22 Area of origin (Ref. = central)

 East

         

−0.159***

0.023

1.86

 West

         

−0.112***

0.024

2.23

X23 Area of destination (Ref. = east)

 Central

         

−0.748***

0.029

1.80

 West

         

−0.517***

0.024

2.19

Pseudo R2

0.0385

0.0478

0.1018

0.1122

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Tan, S., Li, Y., Song, Y. et al. Influence factors on settlement intention for floating population in urban area: a China study. Qual Quant 51, 147–176 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-015-0299-5

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