Holding the Line: Housing Turnover and the Persistence of Racial/Ethnic Segregation in New York City

Abstract

This article uses a panel data set of paired observations of housing units for the most recent inter-censal period to examine the micro-level mobility dynamics that maintain disproportionately high levels of white/black segregation in New York City. Multinomial logistic regression models reveal an unmistakable pattern of white avoidance of mixed and predominantly non-white areas, and areas dominated by blacks, countered by significantly increased odds of Hispanic and particularly black in-movement to these same areas. Coupled with evidence of enhanced odds of white out-movement from these same kinds of areas, the results overall indicate that ''white flight'' as well as white avoidance help to maintain extreme levels of white/black segregation. The pattern of areal effects on the odds of mobility incidence and racial/ethnic turnover also reveal the dynamics that have produced predominantly non-white areas composed almost exclusively of blacks and Hispanics.

A Dynamic View of Neighborhoods: The Reciprocal Relationship between Crime and Neighborhood Structural Characteristics

“…These findings are consonant with the locational attainment literature that has consistently shown that racial/ethnic minorities move into more economically disadvantaged neighborhoods, even controlling for their own level of economic resources (Alba and Logan 1992;Logan, Alba, and Leung 1996). Likewise, the greater tendency for racial/ethnic minorities to enter neighborhoods dominated by members of their same race/ethnicity is also firmly established (Logan et al 1996;Massey and Mullan 1984;Rosenbaum 1994;Rosenbaum and Argeros 2005;South and Crowder 1997b).…”

Violent Crime, Mobility Decisions, and Neighborhood Racial/Ethnic Transition

“…This also may occur due to preference for residence in neighborhoods with fellow co-ethnics (Schelling 1978). Regardless of the mechanism, there is considerable evidence that racial/ethnic minorities are more likely to enter neighborhoods dominated by members of their same race/ethnicity (Logan et al 1996;Massey and Mullan 1984;Rosenbaum 1994;Rosenbaum and Argeros 2005;South and Crowder 1997b). An implication is that nonwhites may be more likely than whites to move into neighborhoods with more crime.…”

Linking dichotomous segregation with multi-group segregation: Weighted segregation ratios in selected U.S. metropolitan areas

“…Similarly, using more recent data, Alba & Logan (1991, 1993) found that the segregation level of blacks increases as their size increases. Studies on neighborhood changes repeatedly show that an increase in the black proportion leads to further increase in their representation in neighborhoods (Iceland et al 2005, Massey & Denton 1990, Rosenbaum & Argeros 2005). A greater representation of a minority group in a community increases the likelihood that its presence will be considered in residential decisions (Lieberson 1980), which may lead to white flight (Farley et al 1994).…”