Urban amenity and settlement intentions of rural-urban migrants in China.

Abstract

The existing literature concentrates on the relationship between amenities and migrants or residents. However, only a few studies have focused on the role of city amenities in determining the intentions of rural-urban migrants. Such a relation is a key issue in Chinese urbanisation development. The current study investigates the effects of urban amenities on the settlement intentions of rural-urban migrants in China. We find that medical amenities have a significantly positive effect on rural-urban migrants' intentions. We also indicate that educational amenities and transportation services attract rural-urban migrants to settle in cities. Furthermore, we explore the heterogeneous effects of amenities on different cohorts by education and age. High- and low-skilled rural-urban migrants focus on transportation amenities, while young and middle-aged migrants are attracted by urban educational amenities. Results suggest that increasing access to urban amenities for rural-urban migrants and improving urban amenities enhance the willingness of rural-urban migrants to stay in cities.