Changing urban residential patterns of Chinese migrants: Shanghai, 2000–2010

Abstract

Recent studies have examined the intra-urban distributions of the so-called “floating population,” a particular category of Chinese migrants analyzed in immigration research. However, these studies rely on small surveys and fail to account for the dynamics of underlying local populations. Using census data while also taking into consideration the local population, this study provides a more comprehensive, detailed and accurate depiction of the spatiotemporal dynamics of the floating population in Shanghai, China between 2000 and 2010. We conclude that the concentration of floating population increased mostly in the outer zones of the city, and that the dynamics of this population in Shanghai are partly attributable to the overall spatial restructuring of the metropolis.