A qualitative approach to the migration attractiveness of a city: Łódź in the opinions of new residents

Abstract

From all previous research on migration patterns, it is clear that some places are more attractive to migrants than others. The relatively low migration attractiveness of Łódź, which exacerbates the city’s unfavourable demographic situation, has inspired questions concerning those people who decide to settle there and the main reasons for their decisions. The subject matter falls within the broader perspective of research on the migratory attractiveness of cities, but was approached in a qualitative manner. The empirical basis for the paper is a study conducted in 2016, the main aim of which was to determine the factors that attract people to Łódź, those that push them away from their previous places of residence, and to trace how new residents of the city evaluate it in terms of living conditions. The research was conducted using unstructured interviews with 32 respondents. The main reasons for settling in Łódź cover the most important institutional areas such as the labour market, education, health care and public services including culture and leisure; personal or family reasons, mainly the finding of a life partner in Łódź, or the desire to live close to relatives; and taking up higher education and staying in the city after graduation.