Neighborhoods Matter: Assessing the Evidence for Place Effects

A large literature documents how intergenerational mobility—the degree to which (dis)advantage is passed on from parents to children—varies across and within countries. Less is known about the origin or persistence of such differences. We show that U.S. areas populated by descendants to European immigrants have similar levels of income equality and mobility as the countries their forebears came from: highest in areas dominated by descendants to Scandinavian and German immigrants, lower in places with French or Italian heritage, and lower still in areas with British roots. Similar variation in mobility is found for the black population and when analyzing causal place effects, suggesting that mobility differences arise at the community level and extend beyond descendants of European immigrant groups. Our findings indicate that the geography of U.S. opportunity may have deeper historical roots than previously recognized.

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Does Choice of Spatial Unit Matter for Estimating Small-area Disparities in Health and Place Effects in the Vancouver Census Metropolitan Area?

Can J Public Health ◽

10.1007/bf03403724 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 98 (S1) ◽

pp. S27-S34 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Lisa N. Oliver ◽

Michael V. Hayes

Keyword(s):

Metropolitan Area ◽

Small Area ◽

Spatial Unit ◽

Health And Place ◽

Census Metropolitan Area ◽

Place Effects

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Steps toward a theory of place effects on drug use: Risk, marginality, and opportunity in small and remote California towns

International Journal of Drug Policy ◽

10.1016/j.drugpo.2019.102629 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 85 ◽

pp. 102629 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

David Showalter

Keyword(s):

Drug Use ◽

Place Effects

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American geography of opportunity reveals European origins

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ◽

10.1073/pnas.1810893116 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 116 (13) ◽

pp. 6045-6050 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Thor Berger ◽

Per Engzell

Keyword(s):

Intergenerational Mobility ◽

Black Population ◽

Community Level ◽

Income Equality ◽

Similar Variation ◽

German Immigrants ◽

Geography Of Opportunity ◽

European Immigrants ◽

American Geography ◽

Place Effects

A large literature documents how intergenerational mobility—the degree to which (dis)advantage is passed on from parents to children—varies across and within countries. Less is known about the origin or persistence of such differences. We show that US areas populated by descendants to European immigrants have similar levels of income equality and mobility as the countries their forebears came from: highest in areas dominated by descendants to Scandinavian and German immigrants, lower in places with French or Italian heritage, and lower still in areas with British roots. Similar variation in mobility is found for the black population and when analyzing causal place effects, suggesting that mobility differences arise at the community level and extend beyond descendants of European immigrant groups. Our findings indicate that the geography of US opportunity may have deeper historical roots than previously recognized.

Download Full-text