Conference Agenda

The concentration of foreigners in large cities is determined both by direct arrivals from abroad and by the demographic and migratory dynamics of locals and immigrants. In the case of the city of Barcelona, the immigrant population reaches 31.3% of the population, with several areas where this percentage is well over 60% of the population. This paper analyses the relationship between territorial concentration and internal migration for the main immigrant groups in the city of Barcelona for the period 2012-2021, based on the series of internal changes of address for the city of Barcelona for the period 2012-2021. Spatial statistical tools are used to identify areas of high spatial concentration of immigrants and to consider three types of evolution: 1) areas of high concentration at the beginning and end of the period; 2) new areas of high concentration; and 3) areas that cease to be areas of high concentration. This operation will be carried out for the ten origins with the highest number of immigrants. Based on this distinction, and on the scale of the Basic Statistical Area, which divides the city into 233 units of homogeneous size, internal migratory flows and their evolution will be analysed.

This study addresses the under-researched phenomenon of gentrification in Spain, focusing on its ten largest cities over the last decade, dubbed the 'decade of gentrification' due to its spread into previously untouched neighbourhoods. While existing research has focused mainly on Madrid and Barcelona there is a notable lack of comprehensive research covering Spain's largest urban centres. We take advantage of the recent release of the 2021 census data to study the changes in the socio-spatial configuration of the population in the inner cities during the 2010s.

A set of socio-demographic indicators is used to assess gentrification in the 10 most populated cities in Spain during the decade 2011-2021. These indicators include age distribution, population origin, educational attainment, occupation, household composition and residential rotation, while complementary data sources are used to analyse the evolution of the rental market. In our approach, we descend to a self-produced fine-grained scale we call census groupings. In addition, the study proposes the development of a composite gentrification index. Results suggest that gentrification have penetrated medium-sized cities that had not previously experienced this phenomenon. In large cities, gentrification have expanded intensively beyond the historic centres, which had been the main gentrified spaces until the last decade.

This paper examines union formation and mixed marriages between migrants and natives in Italy, focusing on urban and rural differences. Marriages involving migrants are often viewed as markers of social integration, yet most studies emphasize their growing frequency without considering how migrant status influences partner selection. This research analyzes how education and urbanization impact the likelihood of mixed marriages, considering Italy's historical economic divide between the North and South.

The study applies the theories of assortative mating, where individuals choose partners with similar socio-demographic traits, and status exchange, where partners may “trade” characteristics like legal status or economic security. Using Italian Labour Force Survey data from 2005 to 2020, it tests three hypotheses: men in rural areas are more likely to marry migrant women; less educated men in these areas have a higher chance of mixed unions; and mixed marriages are more common in Southern than Northern Italy.

The findings reveal that men in rural Southern Italy, especially those with lower educational levels, are significantly more likely to marry migrant women compared to urban men. These results underscore the complex dynamics between geography, education, and social integration in Italy.

A small number of studies looks at the consequences of mobility on internal migrants, despite their significant presence in many European countries. Using data from the Share and Sharelife surveys (all nine waves, from 2004 to 2021), the objective of this study is to evaluate the consequences of internal migration in terms of subjective well-being (SWB) of migrants, by looking at their responses at the various stages of the panel survey and crossing these data with their migration history. Preliminary results suggest that self-reported health decline after a migration event, while changes in life satisfaction and future outlook are not significant. These results alling with previous studies that indicate a decline in SWB measure immediately before and after the relocation.

Depopulation processes of rural and fragile areas are strongly connected with ageing, driven by a lower birth rate compared to the death rate and negative net migration due to limited economic and social opportunities (Reynaud and Miccoli, 2018). An alternative to migration is commuting. However, commuting significantly impact subjective well-being, especially for residents in inner areas. This paper aims to study the relationships between depopulation, mobility choices, daily activities and individual well-being by accounting for the spatial heterogeneity between those living in small towns and disadvantaged areas versus those living in core areas. Previous research (Wheatley, 2014) highlighted relevant differences in subjective well-being between women and men in relation to travel-to-work. Our analysis develops on data from the Italian Time-Use Survey (IT-TUS). This analysis allows to understand how commuting from inner areas has a different impact on well-being in relation to individual characteristics such as gender, age, and resource availability.