Spatial distributions of job accessibility, housing rents, and poverty: The case of Nairobi

Shohei Nakamura and Paolo Avner

Journal of Housing Economics, 2021, vol. 51, issue C

Abstract: The inter-connectedness of workers’ residential locations and job opportunities is a key determinant of labor market outcomes. This study provides an analysis of the spatial distributions of job accessibility, housing rents, and poverty in a large African city. In Nairobi, Kenya, workers and jobs are not well connected: On average, residents can access fewer than 10 percent of existing jobs by foot within an hour. Even using a minibus, they can reach only about a quarter of jobs. This study further demonstrates that poorer households and residents living in informal settlements are even more limited. Living closer to job opportunities is costly in Nairobi. Not only are housing quality and living conditions frequently better in such areas, but the high value placed on job accessibility also makes these areas more expensive. This severely affects the residential location choices of low-income households.

Keywords: Job accessibility; Urban poverty; Slums; Urban planning; Housing rent (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O18 R14 R21 R31 R41 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jhouse:v:51:y:2021:i:c:s1051137720300796

DOI: 10.1016/j.jhe.2020.101743

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