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What makes people stay in or leave shrinking cities? An empirical study from Portugal

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  • Maria Helena Guimaraes
  • Luis Catela Nunes
  • Ana Paula Barreira
  • Thomas Panagopoulos

Abstract

The relative attractiveness of cities as places to live determines population movements in or out of them. Understanding the appealing features of a city is fundamental to local governments, particularly for cities facing population decline. Pull and push attributes of cities can include economic aspects, the availability of amenities and psychological constructs, initiating a discussion around which factors are more relevant in explaining migration. However, a pull–push approach has been underexplored in studies of shrinking cities. In the present study, we contribute to the discussion by identifying pull and push factors in Portuguese shrinking cities. Data were collected using a face-to-face questionnaire survey of 701 residents in four shrinking cities: Oporto, Barreiro, Peso da Régua and Moura. Factor analysis and automatic linear modelling were used to analyse the data. Our results support previous findings that the economic activity of a city is the most relevant feature for retaining residents. However, other characteristics specific to each city, especially those related to heritage and natural beauty, are also shown to influence a city’s attractiveness as a place to live. The cause of population shrinkage is also found to influence residents’ assessments of the pull and push attributes of each city. Furthermore, the results show the relevance of social ties and of place attachment to inhabitants’ intention to continue living in their city of residence.

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  • Maria Helena Guimaraes & Luis Catela Nunes & Ana Paula Barreira & Thomas Panagopoulos, 2015. "What makes people stay in or leave shrinking cities? An empirical study from Portugal," Nova SBE Working Paper Series wp592, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Nova School of Business and Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:unl:unlfep:wp592
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    2. Yuanzhen Song & Weijie He & Jian Zeng, 2023. "Exploration of Spatio-Temporal Evolution and Threshold Effect of Shrinking Cities," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-21, July.
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    5. Rachel S. Franklin & Eveline S. van Leeuwen, 2018. "For Whom the Bells Toll," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 41(2), pages 134-151, March.

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