Settlement Intention of New Immigrants in Shanghai, China: The Role of Residential, Employment and Social Support and Urban Resource Interaction

Abstract

In recent years, the influx of new immigrants into megacities has been progressively increasing, making the exploration of their settlement intentions crucial for addressing both their material and spiritual needs. While previous research has examined migrants' settlement intentions from the perspectives of living and employment, most studies focus on a single life dimension. In contrast, this study investigates the effects of the social dimension by incorporating two key domains: the housing and work domain (including housing affordability and commuting distance) and the social support and urban resource interaction domain (encompassing family and social network support, social belonging, urban identity, and urban resource assessment – such as public service accessibility). Using survey data from Shanghai, this study examines the determinants influencing new immigrants' settlement intentions in megacities. It reveals that housing and work conditions, such as affordable housing and shorter commuting distances, significantly enhance settlement intentions. Additionally, within the social support and urban resource interaction domain, family support, urban identity, social belonging, and positive urban resource assessments all demonstrate strong associations with settlement inclination. By elucidating these multidimensional factors, the study assists policymakers in understanding immigrants' cross-domain needs to improve social integration strategies.