IN-PERSON Barcelona Livable Cities. Section A

Abstract

China has experienced rapid urbanization along with its market transition over recent decades. Following drastic housing reform and privatization in the late 1990s, the housing market has developed fast in urban China. In this context, China offers an intriguing case to examine urban livability and housing inequality. This study utilizes the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), the recent wave of a nationally representative survey of adults aged 45 and older, to examine living places and housing conditions of Chinese urban residents. Statistical analyses show that under the distinct institutional environment in urban China, multidimensional socioeconomic status (SES), including education, hukou (household registration) status, and communist party membership, affect living places and housing conditions. A higher-level of education, urban hukou, and party membership all enhance the chance of owning more houses and living in the central area of cities. Those residents with a higher SES are also more likely to dwell in a house with better conditions, such as constructed by concrete or bricks or in a multi-story building. Employment types and organizations also affect living conditions in urban China. Those who have worked in the state sector are more likely to own more houses and live in the central area of cities. They also enjoy better housing conditions. Overall, multidimensional SES in China’s institutional environment and employment types associated with the socialist legacy all affect living places and housing conditions in Chinese cities. Such findings generate important insights into urban livability and have broad implications.