Does public rental housing foster social ties? A study of the everyday social lives of rural migrants in Chongqing, China

Public housing is a crucial means of providing sufficient housing solutions worldwide. However, many experts criticize the harsh architecture, the absence of public space, and lacking social infrastructure in these densely populated public housing projects in the Global North. In China, previous research has mainly focused on the effect of public rental housing (PRH) on real estate values, employment trajectories of rural migrants, and their life challenges. Few studies have explored the dynamic relationship between rural migrants, their daily social life, and how it interacts with the environment. By conducting multiple site observations and 120 semi-structured interviews with rural migrants living in three different PRH sites in Chongqing, this study addresses these gaps and uncovers the complexities of their daily social lives. The findings show that rural migrant residents have established neighborhood networks, provided mutual support, and developed a sense of place attachment to their new homes through various strategies in their daily social lives. The research enriches the theoretical debate on migration theories and deepens our understanding of rural migrants' social experiences in urban settings. It also sheds light on China's sustainable urban development and the overall well-being of migrating populations.