Household structure, migration trends, and residential preferences in inner-city Leon, Spain : unpacking the demographies of reurbanization
Abstract
This study examines the changing demography of the Spanish city of León, and aims to explore the manner in which its urban fabric was reshaped by processes of reurbaniza- tion, a dynamic whereby the inner city becomes more attractive to a wide variety of household types and social groups. We draw on sociodemographic analyses of municipal census data, as well as a customized questionnaire survey of local residents.
Empirical evidence is provided both for the city as a whole and two inner-city districts, Casco Antiguo and El Ejido. Among other findings, it is argued that, although the contiguous built-up area of the city is clearly losing its inhabitants through out-migration and aging, there are a series of small-scale migration flows that increasingly concentrate “nontraditional” households in and around the city center.