Residential Relocation Research Articles

Emerging place governance to lost places for communities: Government planning and citizen-driven placemaking in the disaster memorial parks after the 2011 Japan tsunami

Physical destruction, land use management, residential buyouts, and residential relocation following disasters disconnects people and places. Previous studies have revealed the unintended negative effects of residential buyouts and displacements, such as the reproduction of vulnerability, along with social injustice and also suggested that places determine the critical elements of long-term community recovery. We explored how government place-based planning and citizen-driven placemaking transform place identity of lost places after the 2011 Japan tsunami. We selected tsunami reconstruction memorial parks as lost places for local communities, and analyzed government planning reports, interviewed citizen-driven placemakers, and conducted questionnaire survey to clarify residents’ perception of place. Our results showed that the sense of belonging was determined by their sense of place in relation to memorial parks, as “part of the everyday landscape,” “nostalgia,” and “symbol of reconstruction.” We also found that citizen-driven placemaking embodied the concept of disaster memorial parks developed by government planning: requiem, commemoration, symbol of reconstruction. These results suggest that citizen-driven placemaking can potentially serve as a driving force to transform a sense of place that enhances the sense of belonging to lost places. We conclude that local authorities must pay attention to the fluctuation in the meaning of lost places that may influence long-term community recovery. Governments, civic organizations, and locals need to promote collaboration and pursue multi-stakeholder land use governance which can enhance community resilience.

Residential Relocation of Community-Dwelling Older Adults: The Role of Physical Function and the Housing Environment.

Most older adults in the United States (U.S.) prefer to remain in their current housing as they age, but difficulty with mobility (e.g., walking) may make this more challenging. We estimated the association between difficulty with mobility (mobility) and residential relocation in the following year. We included adults aged ≥65 participating in ≥2 rounds (years 2011-2019) of the National Health and Aging Trends Study. Mobility was self-reported and change in permanent address was captured by study staff. We used a prospective cohort design and logistic regression with a clustering correction to estimate adjusted associations. We did not find evidence that mobility was associated with relocation versus no relocation in our sample of 26,444 observations from 5699 older adults. However, mobility was positively associated with moves to housing with fewer environmental barriers. Mobility is associated with relocation to housing that is more accessible and may be an indicator of greater need for supports to age in place.

Exploring gaps in residential and parking location choice models for autonomous vehicles: a proposed evaluation framework

ABSTRACT The advent of autonomous vehicles (AVs) is poised to transform urban landscapes, notably by altering perceptions of travel time value, reshaping parking structures, and introducing additional travel demand through empty-cruising and self-parking capabilities. These changes are anticipated to influence both residential and parking location choices. This study delves into the complexities of these decisions by integrating insights from 28 modelling studies on residential and/or parking location choices in the context of AVs and by proposing an evaluation framework for future modelling efforts. A critical gap identified is the oversight of empty-cruising and parking costs in the context of residential relocation choice for owners of privately-owned AVs. Furthermore, no study has adopted a joint-choice modelling approach for residential and parking location choices. By offering guidelines for the incorporation of these elements, this study contributes to the development of a holistic residential and parking location choice model with AVs, thus providing a valuable roadmap for future research in urban planning and transportation economics.

Residential relocation and changes in patterns of environmental exposures by health determinants among children and adolescents in Catalonia, Spain

Residential relocation leads to environmental changes, besides being likely to be influenced by sociodemographic characteristics. The relationship between them is, however, still not well described. We aimed to investigate changes in patterns of urban, natural and physical environmental exposures due to relocation and related sociodemographic determinants in a population-based cohort study of children and adolescents. We included individuals between 0 and 17 years of age, registered in primary healthcare records in Catalonia, Spain from 2006 to 2018 and categorized them as non-movers and movers (first residential change). Hierarchical clustering identified groups of individuals based on their exposure to air pollution, green spaces and built environment. Low, medium and high environmental hazard exposure clusters were identified, which were used to identify changes in environmental exposure patterns due to relocation, namely same, worse, and better environment. Multinomial logistic regression determined whether sex, age, nationality and area-level deprivation influenced these changes. From 1,316,138 individuals, 221,058 were movers. Compared to non-movers, movers were more frequently with foreign nationality (12.1% vs. 21.3%, respectively) and more likely to live in the most deprived areas at baseline (19.2% vs. 24.4%). Younger children had higher risk of moving to better or worse environments. Individuals living in areas with the highest levels of deprivation were least likely to move within the same environments (i.e., either moving to better (Odds Ratio [95% Confidence Interval] 1.39[1.34–1.44]) or worse environment (1.56[1.49–1.63])). Compared to people from Spain, those from Africa moved to similar environments (OR of moving to a better environment 0.90 (0.87–0.94) with respect to move to the same environment, and OR of moving to a worse environment 0.82 (0.78–0.85)), those from America tended to move to other environments (1.17 (1.12–1.23) better and 1.09 (1.03–1.15) worse), while those from Asia and Europe moved to better environments (1.22 (1.12–1.33) and 1.20 (1.14–1.27) respectively). No associations were found for sex. Changes in patterns of environmental exposures due to residential mobility are complex and may be determined by age, deprivation and nationality.

Technical Study of the Concept of Permanent Housing Relocation around the Palu Koro Fault after the 28 September 2018 Disaster

The earthquake that struck Central Sulawesi on September 28, 2018, had a significant impact on Palu City, Donggala Regency, and Sigi Regency. The impact included a tsunami along the coast of Palu Bay and liquefaction in several areas, leading to extensive damage to infrastructure. As part of the post-disaster recovery efforts, permanent shelters (HUNTAP) are being constructed for the survivors. The purpose of this research is to perform a technical assessment of residential relocation based on risk factors that could lead to future disasters. The method involves descriptive analysis, including the following stages: (1) Reviewing literature from various journals, regulations, technical provisions, and related databases, and (2) identifying variables and criteria that could lead to disasters in areas designated for permanent residential relocation. The research results reveal several influential variables, as follows: (1) Potential for flooding, including: (a) high rainfall, (b) susceptibility to air infiltration, (c) risk of flash floods, (d) erosion of river basins, (e) sedimentation, (f) availability of adequate drainage system facilities; (2) risk of landslides is significantly influenced by: (a) shear angle, (b) pore water pressure, (c) slope gradient; (3) liquefaction indicators include (a) Groundwater level less than 10 meters, (b) sandy soil thickness less than 12 meters underground, (c) increased surface earthquake activity, (d) soil density; (4) tsunami risk is associated with several influential variables: (a) Shallow epicenter with a depth of less than 33 km (b) angle and type of fault, with thrust or thrust faults being the most dominant, (c) distance from the epicenter and location in the middle of the sea, (d) characteristics such as beach shape, open beach morphology, low surface slope, and seabed depth; (5) high current voltage is indicated by the distance and type of voltage capacity; and (6) airplane trajectories are influenced by runway distance and flight path.

Sources of PM2.5 exposure misclassification in three Finnish register-based study populations and the impact on attenuation of health effect estimates

Air pollution is a leading environmental health risk factor. The risk estimates, primarily based on air pollution epidemiology, are sensitive to exposure misclassification, which can result in underestimation. To address some of these challenges, our aim is to investigate how the length of the period over which the exposure is averaged, trends in long-term PM2.5 concentrations, and the seasonal variability are associated with each other. Furthermore, we assess the impact of residential relocation on exposure levels and quantify random exposure misclassification due to modelling and its impact on the attenuation of effects with respect to averaging time.We used nested air quality modelling across Finland, gridded population, and address histories from three study populations: the MATEX pregnancy and preschool children cohorts, as well as the FINPARK study's individuals diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and their controls, to estimate PM2.5 exposures. The prediction error was estimated by comparing modelled concentrations to observations and by using previous estimates for random monitoring instrument error.Due to the decreasing trend in PM2.5 concentrations, exposure levels rose progressively with longer averaging times, increasing by up to 28 % over a 16-year period. The shorter the exposure period, the more pronounced the seasonal effects: pregnant mothers' trimester-specific exposures were 13–22 % higher for trimesters ending in spring and 10–16 % lower for those ending in autumn compared to the average for the entire pregnancy. Residential relocation had a relatively minor impact on the exposure levels of the preschool children and adult FINPARK study population, but this effect was possibly partly masked by the decreasing trend. The results indicated that using predicted concentrations led to random exposure misclassification and potentially attenuated health effects. This effect became more notable when increasing the length of the exposure period from 3 months to 5 years, doubling the underestimation ratio from 1.5 to 3.1.

Associations between Changes in Exposure to Air Pollutants due to Relocation and the Incidence of 14 Major Disease Categories and All-Cause Mortality: A Natural Experiment Study.

Though observational studies have widely linked air pollution exposure to various chronic diseases, evidence comparing different exposures in the same people is limited. This study examined associations between changes in air pollution exposure due to relocation and the incidence and mortality of 14 major diseases. We included 50,522 participants enrolled in the UK Biobank from 2006 to 2010. Exposures to particulate matter with a diameter (), particulate matter with a diameter (), nitrogen oxides (), nitrogen dioxide (), and sulfur dioxide () were estimated for each participant based on their residential address and relocation experience during the follow-up. Nine exposure groups were classified based on changes in long-term exposures due to residential mobility. Incidence and mortality of 14 major diseases were identified through linkages to hospital inpatient records and death registries. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for incidence and mortality of the 14 diseases of interest. During a median follow-up of 12.6 years, 29,869 participants were diagnosed with any disease of interest, and 3,144 died. Significantly increased risk of disease and all-cause mortality was observed among individuals who moved from a lower to higher air polluted area. Compared with constantly low exposure, moving from low to moderate exposure was associated with increased risk of all 14 diseases but not for all-cause mortality, with adjusted HRs (95% CIs) ranging from 1.18 (1.05, 1.33) to 1.48 (1.30, 1.69); moving from low to high areas increased risk of all 14 diseases: infections [1.37 (1.19, 1.58)], blood diseases [1.57 (1.34, 1.84)], endocrine diseases [1.77 (1.50, 2.09)], mental and behavioral disorders [1.93 (1.68, 2.21)], nervous system diseases [1.51 (1.32, 1.74)], ocular diseases [1.76 (1.56, 1.98)], ear disorders [1.58 (1.35, 1.86)], circulatory diseases [1.59 (1.42, 1.78)], respiratory diseases [1.51 (1.33, 1.72)], digestive diseases [1.74 (1.58, 1.92)], skin diseases [1.39 (1.22, 1.58)], musculoskeletal diseases [1.62 (1.45, 1.81)], genitourinary diseases [1.54 (1.36, 1.74)] and cancer [1.42 (1.24, 1.63)]. We observed similar associations for and with 14 diseases (but not with all-cause mortality); increases in and were positively associated with 14 diseases and all-cause mortality. This study supports potential associations between ambient air pollution exposure and morbidity as well as mortality. Findings also emphasize the importance of maintaining consistently low levels of air pollution to protect the public's health. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP14367.

Community-Based Residential Relocation in Middle and Older Age: A United States-China Comparison Study on Its Predictors and Associated Mortality Risk.

This study compared the United States and China in examining the predictors of community-based residential relocation and its associated mortality risk. Data from the 2010 to 2018 US Health and Retirement Study and from 2011 to 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study were used (NUS = 20,292 and NChina = 11,694). Community-dwelling respondents (aged 50+) reported whether they had relocated and were followed up until 2018. Log-binomial regression and Cox survival analysis were used. In both countries, younger age, higher education, urban residence, and being a renter were associated with higher likelihood of relocation. Community-based relocation was associated with a lower mortality risk (US: HR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.57, 0.70; China: HR = 0.40, 95% CI = 0.31, 0.50), and this association was significantly stronger in China compared to the United States. Common predictors of community-based relocation were found in the United States and China. The relocation-related survival advantages may be attributed to a better post-move adaptation and living environment.

Residential relocation and mental health. Are changes in greenness and air pollution contributing to recovery from common mental disorders?

Residential relocation and mental health. Are changes in greenness and air pollution contributing to recovery from common mental disorders?

Travel behaviour changes among young adults and associated implications for social sustainability

Travel behaviour changes among today’s young adults in relation to important life events, and associated implications for environmental sustainability have been discussed in recent studies. However, the social implications of their travel behaviour changes remain less explored. Applying latent transition analysis on longitudinal data collected in 2019 and 2022, we examined travel behaviour changes among young adults in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, Canada in response to two life events- start of employment after completion of education and residential relocation and explored their social sustainability-related implications in terms of potential transportation-related social exclusion. Young adults showed a higher probability of becoming car users in 2022, however, those who joined workforce and relocated to urban areas were more likely to become transit users and active modes users. Young adults who switched away from active modes to public transit participated in fewer activities and were more likely to experience transportation-related social exclusion. Implications for transportation planning and policy have been discussed.

The call of the green: The role of green spaces in residential relocations across the life course in Germany

The call of the green: The role of green spaces in residential relocations across the life course in Germany

The impact of relocations on distances traveled for commuting and grocery shopping: structural equation models of panel data

AbstractResidential relocations open a window of opportunity to decrease distances to work and other important daily destinations, such as grocery stores. This study investigates changes in trip distances after residential relocation, using data from a panel survey of 435 movers in Germany. We estimate two structural equation models for changes in commute and shopping trip distance. These models additionally allow us to draw insights into the relationships between spatial structure, travel attitudes, satisfaction with the accessibility of the workplace or shopping facilities, and housing preferences in residential location search. We find that there is a weak indication of an association between residential location choice and changes in trip distances. However, the analysis suggests that especially long trip distances are shortened through relocation. While residents in urban areas travel on average shorter distances, both for working and grocery shopping, only the shopping distance decreases after a move to a more urban location. A preference for urban structures leads to an increase in urbanity after relocation only in the model for grocery shopping trips. Even though long trips before relocation lead to dissatisfaction with the commute, we do not observe a direct effect of dissatisfaction with trips or reasons for moving on trip distances after a move.

A joint model of residential mobility and location choice decisions

ABSTRACT Residential relocation is a process involving the interdependent decisions of mobility (i.e. the decision to move) and location choice. Location choice is a discrete choice decision, whereas mobility has a continuous time dimension. Since households relocate along their life course for different reasons such as the birth of a child, these reasons could influence the duration of stay as competing events. This paper develops a joint model for mobility and location choice decisions. Data come from a retrospective survey conducted in the Central Okanagan of British Columbia, Canada. A reason-based competing hazard model is developed for the mobility component of the joint model. For the location choice component, a latent segmentation-based logit model is developed to capture unobserved heterogeneity. The influence of location utility on mobility is addressed through log sum parameters. The model confirms the effects of life-cycle events, parcel, socio-demographic, land use, transportation, neighbourhood and accessibility characteristics. The findings reveal that households relocating for the occurrence of life-cycle events are active in the housing market following the birth of a child, marriage and vehicle purchase. Relocation to live in a desirable neighbourhood is found to delay the move for the reason of living closer to activity points. Results also indicate that duration is likely to be shorter with the increase in expected utility from the following location. Regarding the location choice, preferences for dwellings closer to schools are evident. In the case of heterogeneity, it is observed that urban dwellers are more likely to prefer locations closer to the workplace with the addition of jobs in the household. In contrast, suburban dwellers are more likely to prefer residing far from the workplace. The developed joint model has been included in an integrated urban model, currently under development at the University of British Columbia.

Sydney’s residential relocation landscape: Machine learning and feature selection methods unpack the whys and whens

This study investigates household residential relocation timing, an aspect vital for transport and urban planning. Analyzing a high-dimensional dataset from 1,024 relocations in Sydney, Australia, the research contrasts ten machine learning survival techniques with three classical survival models. Results indicate that when classical models are paired with tree-based automated feature selectors, they align closely with machine learning outcomes. Notably, the GBM, XGBoost, and Random Forest models emerge as standout performers. The study provides a comprehensive comparison between automatic and manual feature selection, shedding light on variables influencing households’ duration of stay. While stacked ensemble modeling, which leverages predictions from various models, is used to enhance accuracy, the improvements are marginal, underscoring inherent modeling challenges, particularly the recurring issue of misclassifying specific pairs of households in the concordance index measure. A thorough feature analysis highlights homeownership as the foremost predictor, underscoring the importance of recent life events and accessibility features in relocation decisions. The research emphasizes the importance of considering the accessibility of both current and future homes in relocation models, with 20% feature significance in model outcomes. Building on these foundational insights, the study paves the way for a deeper understanding of individual decision-making processes in sustainable urban planning.

Exploring residential relocation– differences between newcomers and settled residents in health, travel behaviour and neighbourhood perceptions

This study explores whether people who have recently moved to an area differ from longer-term residents in their health, travel behaviour, and perceptions of the environment. Using a large, representative sample from the UKHLS, Newcomers demonstrate significantly lower mental and physical health, reduced car commuting, and a higher likelihood of liking their neighbourhood. Area deprivation, urbanicity, household income, and age emerge as influential moderators with i.e. Newcomers in affluent areas experiencing lower physical health than Settled Residents, and rural Newcomers expressing less neighbourhood satisfaction. Our findings highlight that Newcomers' perceptions of their environment diverge and environmental influences vary among population segments, potentially impacting related health behaviours such as active travel. Furthermore, residential relocation introduces Newcomers with distinct characteristics into areas, affecting the context in which potential population health interventions aiming to influence health behaviours operate. This necessitates a deeper understanding of what influences reactions to the environment as well as ongoing adaptation of environmental interventions to respond to changing contexts within the same location over time.

Konsolidasi Tanah terhadap Relokasi Korban Pasca Erupsi Gunung Semeru 2021 dalam Kerangka Kepastian Hukum Hak Atas Tanah

As the year 2021 came to a close, Mount Semeru, which is situated in the Malang and Lumajang districts, erupted, bringing with it hot clouds and lava avalanches that destroyed nearby homes and property, erasing the lines separating the land owned by the locals. Normative-empirical legal research was the research methodology utilised to complete this thesis. The socio-legal approach, the statute approach, and the conceptual approach are the three methods used in this study. All three methods use empirical data from observations and interviews with people to do research. The implementation of land consolidation for relocation following the Semeru eruption, legal certainty regarding land ownership rights for the residential relocation of Mount Semeru eruption victims in 2021, and the idea of land consolidation for the relocation of Semeru eruption victims are the main areas of concern in this research. The concept of land consolidation is in accordance with the regulations of the Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/head of the national land agency of the Republic of Indonesia number 12 of 2019 regarding land consolidation. As a consequence of land consolidation, the findings of this study will guarantee that the land rights of those affected by the Mount Semeru eruption are legally guaranteed.

Impacts of virtual amenities on residential relocation and decentralization of megacity: An empirical study in wuhan, China

Clarifying the impact of urban virtual amenities (VAs) based on online and offline services on residents and urban spaces is important in the context of mobile internet access. However, the measurement of VA usage and its association with urban space have limited its theoretical development. This study identifies relocation directions through changes in residential locations and measures the four types of VA usage via mobile app data. An ordered logistic regression model is constructed to measure the correlation between VA usage and residential locations. The results show a significant association between VA usage and residential location. Residents who use VA-shopping are inclined to live outside the central region, while the opposite is true for residents who use VA-life and VA-public service. Because the users and usage intensity of VA-shopping are greater than those of other services, we summarize the VAs that drive outward relocation and urban decentralization because virtual amenities liberate the constraints on residential mobility imposed by the proximity of functional urban amenities. The findings are informative for understanding urban spaces under mobile ICTs and conducting behavior research on virtual-real interactions.

Early Perspectives: Exploring the Potential Impacts of Autonomous Vehicles Through the Lens of Urban Mobility and Urban Form

The emergence of autonomous vehicles (AVs) is expected to significantly reshape urban mobility and travel behavior patterns. AVs have the potential to offer higher levels of convenience, safety, and accessibility while enabling users to spend their trip time on more efficient and productive tasks such as working or even relaxing. This transformation in the short- to mid-term could result in changes in the public's sensitivity and perception toward enduring longer travel times and consequently, in mid- to long-term, it could influence the willingness to reconsider their residential locations. Therefore, the objective of this study is to enhance the understanding of the potential effects of AVs on travel behavior and land use through the examination of stated preference queries. To achieve this objective, various multinomial logit models toward AVs adoption and residential relocation were estimated by employing a dataset from Istanbul, Türkiye, as an example of megacity in a developing country. While the study findings revealed a set of potential adoption barriers for AVs, they also indicated a notable propensity for adopting these vehicles. Furthermore, concerning individuals' willingness to reconsider their residential locations due to the emergence of AVs, a considerable positive attitude was evident, albeit guarded. This attitude suggests that individuals' decisions are still evolving and can be guided toward the desired future through well-timed and well-suited policies. The outcomes of the study can serve as valuable input for policymakers as well as transportation and urban planners, offering insights into the potential impacts of AVs on urban mobility and form.

Changes in neighbourhood walkability and body mass index: An analysis of residential mobility from a longitudinal multilevel study in Brisbane, Australia

This study examined associations between changes in neighbourhood walkability and body mass index (BMI) among 1041 residents who relocated within Brisbane, Australia between 2007 and 2016 over five waves of the HABITAT study. Measures included spatially-derived neighbourhood walkability (dwelling density, street connectivity, and land use mix) and self-reported height and weight. No associations were found between any neighbourhood walkability characteristics and BMI. Examining these associations over the life course, and the impact of residential relocation in the younger years, remains a priority for future research.

Perturbation of Residential Preferences by COVID-19 Shocks in the Greater Toronto Area

This research investigates the immediate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on residential preferences in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Canada, using a stated preference (SP) survey dataset. The study examines changes in relocation preferences and trends in the GTA after the Ontario government lifted the initial lockdown. The obtained choice data is then modeled using a mixed cross-nested logit model to find substitution patterns across regions and dwelling types, as well as explore residents’ preferences for different dwelling characteristics and the accessibility of their residence, including factors such as telecommuting options. The results reveal that the pandemic caused short-term residential dissonance, with residents tending to want to move to lower-density areas to relocate to their preferred dwelling type, emphasizing telecommuting as a key factor influencing residential relocation preferences. Housing qualities were prioritized over accessibility. The study also found heterogeneous behavior among GTA residents with regard to telecommuting as a factor in residential relocation. The study’s findings are relevant for planners and policymakers in anticipating the potential long-term pandemic-induced home relocation decisions and their impact on future household travel behavior, particularly with regard to telecommuting and accessibility.