Migration, Transformation and Sustainability, 2018-2022

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This project collected quantitative data through a cross-sectional survey that aims to study the disruptive potential of migration on behavioural and attitudinal aspects of consumption and habit formation for sustainable practices. The data were collected in eight cities: Accra (Ghana), Dhaka (Bangladesh), Amsterdam (Netherlands), Brussels (Belgium), London (UK), Worcester (USA), Malmo (Sweden), and Maputo (Mozambique). The survey contains information on demographics, place of residence, place attachment, safe and trust, sustainable attitudes, and sustainable behaviours. In addition, data from Accra and Dhaka also contains life histories (i.e. retrospective data on demographics, migration history, place attachment, and safe and trust).

This project sought to develop conceptual and empirical evidence on the interactions between environmental and social dimensions of sustainability and migration. It collected primary data, specifically on how migration and migrant populations interact with sustainability concerns in destination cities, including on sustainability behaviours, attitudes, and perceptions of community, risk and safety, as elaborated in the urban-focused Sustainable Development Goal. The research design involved migrant destination urban areas in Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia. While migration is most frequently presented in terms of threat to environmental dimensions of sustainability, this research draws out the substantial opportunities it presents to strengthen urban sustainability. The objective of this project is, therefore, to use theory and rigorous empirical research to expand knowledge of transformations to sustainability by incorporating migration dynamics. These specifically include: the impact of aggregate flows of people on sustainability; the individual life-course dimensions of sustainability; and the governance of migration and sustainability.