The changing South! An examination of residential intermixing and neighbourhood contexts in Knoxville, Tennessee

Abstract

This paper examines how neighbourhood-level socio-economic, demographic, and built-environment characteristics relate to intra-urban residential intermixing, and how well the existing frameworks explain these changes. Presence of educated, white-collar professionals relate to greater intermixing whereas newer developments, higher median household income, higher housing values and/or blue-collar neighbourhoods relate to lower intermixing. While diversity in 1990 contributes to higher intermixing in 2009, over the duration of 1990 to 2009, it associates with declining intermixing. Interestingly, some communities gain in intermixing due to upwardly-mobile, educated professionals, and newly-entering foreign-born who are renting whereas some older neighbourhoods become more intermixed as professionals move into revitalized communities. The processes of changing intermixing and enclave formation re-affirm several frameworks at work, such as assimilation, resurgent ethnicity and market-led pluralism. This study suggests that even though Knoxville is a smaller metropolitan area in comparison to the largest gateways/immigrant hubs, the intra-urban dynamism of its neighbourhoods unfolds a complicated and multifaceted fabric of residential mosaics of communities developing along racial, ethnic, class, and lifecycle attributes, adding complex characteristics to its contemporary social geography.JEL classification: R23, R58

Race, Place, and the Persisting Income Divide in the U.S. Southeast, 2000–2014

“…However, over the last two decades, diversity has been shifting toward mid‐and‐small cities and rural areas, driven by population groups engaging in a variety of rural‐based agro‐economies (Cobb , Cornelius et al ; Perreira ; Sharma ; Sharma and Brown ; Singer ; Smith and Furuseth ; Suro and Singer ; Winders ). This has motivated scholars to link changing diversity with the changing economic landscapes that have benefited the Southeast (McDaniel and Drever ; Sharma , ).…”

“…There will be an income divide in any society, but too large of a gap can produce unhealthy results. It is also important to promote economic mobility without compromising diversity as it promotes overall economic growth by attracting talent (Florida ; Sharma , ; Sharma and Brown ). While scholars have agreed that investments in human capital produce good results (Florida ; Hamoudi and Sachs ; Lobo and Smole ), it is also necessary to invest in a mixed economy for smart and sustainable growth, as it provides opportunities for high‐skilled professionals and others with mid‐to‐low level skills.…”

Residential Settlement Patterns among Immigrants in Atlanta Metropolitan Area, Georgia

“…Some immigrants may now be deliberately choosing ethnic neighborhoods (as opposed to feeling that ethnic neighborhoods are their only choice) (Li ; Sharma ). This choice is not out of economic need, but due to social, religious, and commercial drivers and the seeking cultural connections (Pamuk ; Zhu and others ; Sharma ). Living in coethnic communities links immigrants to similar cultural groups, which grants access to social capital, ethnic services, and connective networks (Wang and Maani ; Maani and others ).…”

“…Some new immigrants tend to live in areas that offer social networks and services related to sharing cultural and economic backgrounds, regardless of their socioeconomic status and ability to live elsewhere (Pamuk ; Frey ; Hall ). However, in some areas, “tolerance for immigrants by the native‐born population” has created multiethnic neighborhoods and areas; also, some immigrants simply opt to bypass ethnic enclaves (Pamuk , 288; Sharma ). Again, immigrant settlement patterns are diversifying; as ethno‐racial diversity in American metropolitan areas and among immigrant groups increases, differential settlement patterns among immigrant groups have emerged.…”

“…Immigrants historically concentrated in central cities, with larger job markets and public transportation (Massey and Denton ; Pamuk ; Alba and Nee ; Castles and others ). Although many immigrants continue to follow that traditional route, significant numbers of immigrants now bypass cities and settle directly in suburban locations (Singer ; Skop and Li ; Massey ; Li ; Sharma ; Frey ). Additionally, immigrants to the United States over the last several decades have diversified in nationality and socioeconomic status (Massey ; Farrell ; Farrell ).…”