The Residential Movements of Low-Income Families: The Case of Bogota, Colombia,

Abstract : The paper examines the residential movements of the immigrant and native low-income families within the Bogota metropolitan area. The city center has lost its unique receiving function for immigrants. Low-income immigrants locate predominately in the illegal housing settlements at the periphery of the urban perimeter. The residential location of low-income families is constrained by the structure of the housing and land markets. In addition, immigrants rely heavily on family and friends not only in deciding where to settle first in the metropolitan area, but also in deciding whether and where to migrate. Based on the analysis, broad and tentative conclusions regarding migration, housing and urban development policies are suggested.