Life Satisfaction and Migration Intention of Residents in Shrinking Cities: Case of Yichun City in China

Abstract

Urban shrinkage has received extensive attention from scholars, planners, and urban policy makers. Residents’ life satisfaction and migration intention are an important basis for predicting the future development trends of shrinking cities. This study takes Yichun, a typical shrinking city in China, as an example. Based on the satisfaction and migration intention data obtained from questionnaires and in-depth interviews, the authors use factor analysis and logistic regression models to explore the impact of urban shrinkage on residents’ life satisfaction and migration intention, and the relationship between life satisfaction and migration intention. The results show that the overall life satisfaction of residents in Yichun City did not decline significantly due to urban shrinkage. The improvement of the environment and the reduction of life pressure brought about by urban shrinkage contributed to the improvement of life satisfaction, while the lack of employment opportunities, the decline of landscape, and the decline in the level of livability had negative effects on life satisfaction. Residents with low life satisfaction were more willing to move, but the personal attributes of residents also affected their migration intention.