Urban Environment Quality and Migrant Settlement Intentions: Evidence from China’s Hygienic Cities Initiative

Abstract

The number of internal migrants in China reached 376 million in 2020, accounting for about one-fourth of the total population. Therefore, promoting their settlement in cities and integration into urban life is crucial for both sustainability and for their well-being. Drawing on data from the 2014–2018 China Migrants Dynamic Survey and taking the “Hygienic Cities Initiative” as a quasi-experiment, this research study analyzes the influence of improving the urban environment quality on migrants’ settlement intentions within a difference-in-difference (DID) framework. The study findings indicate that the creation of “Hygienic Cities” demonstrates a significant positive effect on migrants’ settlement intentions, thereby leading to a 4.57% increase. Further analysis highlights that the creation of “Hygienic Cities” primarily affects migrants’ settlement intentions by (1) improving local air quality and (2) increasing the sanitation of the urban environment. In addition to this, the effect of “Hygienic Cities” on migrants’ settlement intentions is stronger for migrants with higher education and income levels, shorter migration experience, unmarried males, and employers or self-employed individuals. This research article confirms that the urban residential environment has become a critical factor influencing Chinese migrants’ settlement intentions. As a result, further attention to environmental protection and improvements in urban environmental sanitation is crucial in city management for attracting talent and investments to cities, but such initiatives may also lead to potential gender imbalance in cities.