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Spatial distributions of job accessibility, housing rents, and poverty: The case of Nairobi

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  • Nakamura, Shohei
  • Avner, Paolo

Abstract

The inter-connectedness of workers’ residential locations and job opportunities is a key determinant of labor market outcomes. This study provides an analysis of the spatial distributions of job accessibility, housing rents, and poverty in a large African city. In Nairobi, Kenya, workers and jobs are not well connected: On average, residents can access fewer than 10 percent of existing jobs by foot within an hour. Even using a minibus, they can reach only about a quarter of jobs. This study further demonstrates that poorer households and residents living in informal settlements are even more limited. Living closer to job opportunities is costly in Nairobi. Not only are housing quality and living conditions frequently better in such areas, but the high value placed on job accessibility also makes these areas more expensive. This severely affects the residential location choices of low-income households.

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  • Nakamura, Shohei & Avner, Paolo, 2021. "Spatial distributions of job accessibility, housing rents, and poverty: The case of Nairobi," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jhouse:v:51:y:2021:i:c:s1051137720300796
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jhe.2020.101743
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    2. Kerzhner, Tamara, 2022. "Formalization of East Jerusalem public transport: Mobility, politics and planning," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    3. Duarte, Leandro Batista & da Mota Silveira Neto, Raul & da Silva, Diego Firmino Costa, 2023. "The influence of job accessibility on individual labor income: Evidence for the City of Recife, Brazil," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    4. Batana,Yele Maweki & Nakamura,Shohei & Rajashekar,Anirudh Venkatanarayan & Viboudoulou Vilpoux,Mervy Ever & Wieser,Christina, 2021. "Spatial Heterogeneity of COVID-19 Impacts on Urban Household Incomes : Between- and Within-City Evidence from Two African Countries," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9762, The World Bank.
    5. Cyprian Chwiałkowski & Adam Zydroń, 2021. "Socio-Economic and Spatial Characteristics of Wielkopolski National Park: Application of the Hedonic Pricing Method," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-17, April.
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    7. Yele Maweki Batana & Shohei Nakamura & Anirudh Rajashekar & Mervy Ever Viboudoulou Vilpoux & Christina Wieser, 2024. "Spatial heterogeneity of COVID‐19 impacts on urban household incomes: Between‐ and within‐city analyses of two African countries," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 36(3), pages 1918-1943, April.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Job accessibility; Urban poverty; Slums; Urban planning; Housing rent;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R14 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Land Use Patterns
    • R21 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Housing Demand
    • R31 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Real Estate Markets, Spatial Production Analysis, and Firm Location - - - Housing Supply and Markets
    • R41 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - Transportation: Demand, Supply, and Congestion; Travel Time; Safety and Accidents; Transportation Noise
    • O18 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure

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