Residential satisfaction, moving intention and moving behaviours: A study of redeveloped neighbourhoods in inner-city Beijing

This paper studies residential satisfaction among original residents in the redeveloped inner-city neighbourhoods of Beijing. It is based on a questionnaire survey that was conducted in four neighbourhoods redeveloped at different time periods in the past 15 years. The survey data suggest an overall low level of satisfaction across all four neighbourhoods. Only the unit size and length of stay significantly relate to residential satisfaction. The survey shows that low residential satisfaction does not lead to frequent moving behaviours despite high moving intentions. These findings contradict hypotheses in the Western literature about lower residential satisfaction associated with higher mobility. In Western studies, residential satisfaction determines housing adjustment and mobility behaviours, which form the basis for public intervention. The central assumption is that residents' mobility will be relatively unhindered by factors other than personal financial ability. By differentiating between voluntary and involuntary relocation behaviour, this paper attempts to understand the interrelationship between residential satisfaction, moving intention and moving behaviour within the context of China's political economy. Residents in this study showed a lack of ability to adjust their changing housing needs although they had strong desires to do so. China's housing reform provides a valuable opportunity to examine the impacts of constraints and choices on residential satisfaction, and sheds light on decision processes of housing market development.