Impact of Migration and Urbanization on Cities

Abstract

Migrants are moving in great numbers towards urban areas as a result of urbanization and drivers such as political-, economical- and climate crises. The influx of new people brings new challenges for cities and municipalities to provide for a suitable environment for new and existing citizens whilst preventing adverse effects to occur. Current literature describes the dynamics of the city using effects such as segregation, gentrification and urban decay. However, the changing character of urban areas is not linked with the decision-making behavior of citizens in current literature. Furthermore, the dynamics of urban areas are rarely observed from a meso-scale perspective. This research aims to describe the relation between migration patterns and changes to the fabric of the city. A conceptual model on the dynamics involved in observing decision-making of citizens and observing changes to the city fabric is made. Using real-world data of the city of The Hague in The Netherlands, a Data-Driven Agent-Based model is made in Netlogo. Data analysis on the outcomes of the model using Python provide a better understanding of the impact of migration on the changes to the city fabric. The model output describes the impact on the city caused by the influx of migrants. More migrants entering the city can drastically increase homelessness or the "pushing out" of citizen groups because of housing shortages. This is most prevalent for the poorest citizens, since social rent housing is first to become scarce when more people enter the city. An increase in income inequality or a decrease in average migrant income results in even more pronounced housing shortages. The model simulates 6 policy interventions for the municipality of The Hague. The model shows that all policies that increase housing options significantly increases well-being of citizens. However, the policies that try to improve safety and health do not show an increase in well-being of citizens. By means of historical validation the model is tested for validity. The model is able to describe much of the decision-making behavior of migrants and citizens. However, for certain ethnicities, the model is currently unable to describe the decision-making process in such a way that it can represent the observed real-world moving patterns. A framework has been presented that can be used to better explain the impact of migration on cities. Furthermore, the conceptual model can be applied to different aspects of city dynamics, for instance the transport or energy sector. The ABM shows that current housing options and expected influx of migrants become problematic within the coming 10 years. An indication of the usefulness of proposed policy interventions is presented. More research and surveys are needed to better understand these mechanics and their relation to changes to the fabric of the city. Additional research into the changes to the neighborhood amenities and businesses as a result of changes in citizen composition can aid policy making and understanding the developments of the ever-changing city landscape.