The legacy of the COVID-19 pandemic on residential mobility in major Spanish cities

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic raised concerns about possible shifts in the determinants of residential mobility and the potential for a crisis in densely populated urban settings. Some studies have noted significant effects in the early months following the outbreak, though generally not int...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: López Gay, Antonio|||0000-0001-8892-2816, Rosa, Brian Thomas|||0000-0002-7389-9454, Ortega Burgos, Karen Nathalia, Sanz Pérez, Carlos|||0009-0009-3827-2099, Garcia Gomez, Jesus|||0000-0003-3288-355X
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2024
País:España
Institución:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ddd.uab.cat:310799
Acceso en línea:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/310799
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.3989/estgeogr.2024.1196
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:COVID-19
Educational gradient
Internal migration
Residential mobility
Spanish cities
Urban exodus
Descripción
Sumario:The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic raised concerns about possible shifts in the determinants of residential mobility and the potential for a crisis in densely populated urban settings. Some studies have noted significant effects in the early months following the outbreak, though generally not intense enough to induce profound changes in residential systems. This research aims to explore aspects not yet addressed in the context of Spanish urban areas: (i) we focus on central municipalities, which were subject to speculation regarding a possible mass migration to rural areas; (ii) we extend the period of analysis until 2022, marking the third year since the pandemic's onset; (iii) we incorporate a socioeconomic dimension, enabling us to examine changes in the profiles of individuals who changed residence after the pandemic; and (iv) we consider intra-city moves, a critical aspect for validating (or invalidating) the urban exodus hypothesis. By addressing these aspects, we outline the legacy and future implications of the pandemic in terms of residential mobility and its interplay with the socio-spatial reconfiguration of urban areas. After two years with some observable changes compared to the pre-pandemic period, by 2022, residential mobility patterns aligned with pre-pandemic tendencies in most dynamics. However, a significant change has been the reinforcement of movements away from urban cores among the most socioeconomically advantaged groups.