Homeownership-based segregation and urban amenity differentiation in Shanghai

Chinese cities have attracted increasing scholarly attention to research the emerging patterns and mechanisms of residential segregation. The extant literature has revealed low levels of spatial segregation by socio-economic status, but high levels of spatial division by residents’ housing tenure (owning versus renting) in urban China. However, how homeownership-based residential segregation relates to inequality of access to key urban resources remains under-researched. Using a combination of the six census data and urban amenity data of Shanghai, this research investigates the overlapping and contrasting relationships between homeownership, socio-economic status and urban amenity provision, focusing on state-led development versus market-led development. We found that a high level of spatial concentration of work-unit housing and commodity housing is respectively associated with the distribution of distinct social groups and neighbourhood amenity features. Arguably, the centralised housing system and the subsequent gradual housing reforms have persistently shaped the relationship between homeownership-based segregation and accessible urban amenities, reflecting the local government’s dual intention to reinforce the central business district development and reduce the financial budget in suburban land development.