Ethnic Dimensions of Suburbanisation in Estonia (original) (raw)
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The Ethnic Dimensions of Suburbanisation in Estonia
Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 2013
Large scale suburbanisation is a relatively recent phenomenon in East Central Europe and responsible for major socio-spatial changes in metropolitan areas. Little is known about the ethnic dimensions of this process. However, large minority population groups, mainly ethnic Russians, remained into the former member states of the Soviet Union after its dissolution in 1991. We use individual level Estonia Census data in order to investigate the ethnic dimensions of suburbanisation. The results show that ethnic minorities have a considerably lower probability to suburbanise compared to the majority population, and minorities are less likely to move to rural municipalities -the main sites of suburban change -in the suburban ring of cities. Individual characteristics that measure strong ties with the majority population and host society exert a positive effect on ethnic minority suburbanization, and on settling in rural municipalities. JEL Classification: J61, R21, R23
Types of Spatial Mobility and the Ethnic Context of Destination Neighbourhoods in Estonia
Most studies of the ethnic composition of destination neighbourhoods after residential moves do not take into account the types of moves people have made. However, from an individual perspective, different types of moves may result in neighbourhood environments that differ in terms of their ethnic composition from those in which individuals previously lived. We investigate how the ethnic residential context changes for individuals as a result of different types of mobility (immobility, intra-urban mobility, suburbanisation, and long-distance migration) for residents of the segregated post-Soviet city of Tallinn. We compare the extent to which Estonian-and Russian-speakers integrate in residential terms. Using unique longitudinal Census data (2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011) we tracked changes in the individual ethnic residential context of both groups. We found that the moving destinations of Estonian-and Russianspeakers diverge. When Estonians move, their new neighbourhood generally possesses a lower percentage of Russian-speakers compared with when Russian-speakers move, as well as compared with their previous neighbourhoods. For Russian-speakers, the percentage of other Russian-speakers in their residential surroundings decreases only for those who move to the surburbs or who move over longer distances to rural villages. By applying a novel approach of tracking the changes in the ethnic residential context of individuals for all mobility types, we were able to demonstrate that the two largest ethnolinguistic groups in Estonia tend to behave as 'parallel populations' and that residential integration in Estonia is therefore slow.
Socio-economic and Ethnic Trajectories of Housing Estates in Tallinn, Estonia
Housing Estates in the Baltic Countries, 2019
Housing estates consisting of Soviet-era large-scale multi-family housing hold a dominant position in the housing market of Tallinn; slightly less than two-thirds of residents resided there in 2011. These housing segments were attractive to mixed socioeconomic status groups when initially built due to their high rent subsidies and prevalence of modern conveniences in apartments. The historical developments of housing estates intertwined with ethnicity, specifically the extensive in-migration flows during the Soviet era. In this chapter, we investigate how the socioeconomic and ethnic position of housing estates changed over the course of the period of political and economic reforms (1989-2000) and the subsequent decade (2000-2011). The focus is interlinkages between social and ethnic patterns. Findings suggest a steady, downward trajectory in the social composition of these housing estates, excluding some centrally located neighbourhoods. The historical circumstances related to construction dynamics, flows of foreign immigration and allocation patterns explain residential dynamics. Ethnically minority-rich neighbourhoods are more likely to experience a downward social trajectory than housing estates with fewer ethnic minorities regardless of location.
Suburbanisation in relation to education in the Tallinn metropolitan area
Population Space and Place, 2007
Significant changes occur in the social stratification order and spatial redistribution of population in countries in transition. One of the important dimensions in the changing social stratification order is related to the increased importance of education. Dominance of suburbanisation is an important dimension in spatial population change. The aim of the current article is to study these two important dimensions of social and spatial change by analysing suburbanisation with regard to the level of education of residential migrants in the Tallinn metropolitan area, Estonia. The study is based on census data from the year 2000 and it employs logistic regression to compare suburbanisers with stayers in Tallinn and its suburbs. The main findings indicate that suburbanisation reduces inequalities in the educational composition of people living in Tallinn and its suburbs on the one hand, but increases socio-spatial segregation within the suburbs on the other. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Demographic dimension of suburbanization in Ukraine in the light of urban development theories
AUC GEOGRAPHICA
Suburbanization is the most typical process that defines the development of urbanized areas in Central and Eastern Europe. However, in Ukraine, except for the largest cities, suburbanization process seems to be underestimated. This paper is trying to estimate the actual extent of suburbanization in Ukraine, find out the relationship between the city size and the development of suburbanization, reveal regional peculiarities, and finally, evaluate successfulness of the common urban evolution theories in explanation of empirical evidence from one of the largest Eastern European countries. Analysis is based on the data on migration dynamics in urban cores, peri-urban areas and hinterlands of 65 cities with a population of over 40,000 located in 22 regions of Ukraine. It was found out that suburbanization processes in Ukraine are extremely widespread and define general course of current urban evolution. Migration growth of peri-urban area, comparing with main city and hinterland, is observed in more than half of studied cities (53%), including all cities with population over 100,000. Urban dynamics in Ukraine seems to be rather evolutionary than involutionary and therefore similar to other Eastern European countries. However, large-scale restructuring of the economy in post-Soviet period had a critical role for the development of individual and regional differences in urban development and caused several biases from "normal" urban evolution: some patterns and stages are rather debatable and may essentially differ from their classical Western prototypes. Verification of these conclusions can be done through further in-depth research of certain cases.
Cities
The prevailing research into suburbanisation in former centrally planned countries explains suburban change by referring to macro-level factors that are evident in the transition from a centrally planned to a market economy. Findings show that in a neo-liberal environment, the public sector plays only a modest role in residential planning; the key players are developers and banks. This study takes a different approach by focusing on the micro-level factors that lead households to move from the city to new, post-Soviet suburban settlements, specifically in the Tallinn urban region of Estonia. A sample of data from the University of Tartu’s 2006 New Residential Areas Survey is herein analysed in order to ascertain the reasons for moving, the criteria used in the selection of a particular suburban settlement, and the subsequent levels of residential satisfaction. The results show that, for the period in question, housing adjustment moves were more prevalent than induced moves triggered by life-course changes. In addition, it was found that, generally, new suburbanites were satisfied with their housing and neighbourhoods. However, they were less satisfied with the provision of local services, especially when their new settlements lay at a distance from pre-transition settlements.► Individual residential preference is an important factor in household moves in post-Soviet city regions. ► Moves to new suburban areas are mainly a result of housing adjustment rather than being induced by life-course events. ► Infrastructure and proximity to the city centre are the principal factors considered when choosing a new residential area. ► New suburbanites are well satisfied with their housing conditions and residential environment. ► They are mainly concerned about local infrastructure, particularly that associated with social activity and public transport.
Intra-urban residential differentiation in the post-Soviet city: the case of Riga, Latvia
Cities in many Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries have transformed rapidly since the political and socio-economic restructuring started in the early 1990s. Economic reforms, growing income inequalities, changes in housing system and selective residential mobility are resulting in increasing socio-spatial diff erentiation among urban neighbourhoods also in Riga. In addition, litt le is known about the ethnic dimension of intra-urban residential diff erentiation, despite the existence of sizeable minority populations. The focus on ethnicity is important, since Riga is the only capital city in the Baltic States where the ethnic majority is outnumbered by the non-Latvian minority. This paper provides empirical evidence about socio-spatial diff erentiation in Riga according to its ecological structure. Our aim is to examine the characteristics of the inhabitants by distinctive types of urban neighbourhoods with particular interest on ethnicity. The analysis is based on a recent sample survey that was carried out in 2012 and 2013. The results reveal that characteristics of population subgroups diff er among urban zones with regard to ethnic origin, age, household size and income. Less pronounced are diff erences by education, migration background and family type. The conclusion is that Riga is a relatively mixed city at the beginning of the 21 st century.