Influence of Poverty on Internal Household Mobility Pattern of a City: A Case Study of Khulna City

Abstract

Because of severe incidence of poverty, unemployment, housing shortage and rapid growth of urban population; the slum and squatters (pocket poverty zone) are quite common in Bangladesh. Through increasing the inequality, crime rate, socio-political tension; the pocket poverty zones (PPZs) can create significant impacts on the mobility pattern of the urban dwellers, which is a well pronounced phenomenon in scholarly literature. To analyze the effect of PPZs on the mobility pattern of the households, a two-step model is proposed where the mobility is defined as a function of the household’s ability to move out and tension level. Additionally, magnetic effect that forces them to stay at the current location even though the tension and ability to move out is very high is also introduced in the model. The socio-political reasons are the most prominent factors influencing the mobility pattern of the slum and non-slum dwellers. Some other factors like; house rent, educational status etc. also seem quite influential decision-making factors. This paper adds further insight into the existing literature explaining the poverty induced household mobility pattern.

Journal of Bangladesh Institute of Planners, Vol. 5, Dec 2012, pp. 37-57