Spatializing the intergenerational transmission of inequalities: Parental wealth, residential segregation, and urban inequality

Young adults in many contexts struggle on the housing market. Parental support has become increasingly important in allowing young adults to enter homeownership or to acquire secure housing in general. Consequently, the intergenerational transmission of inequalities has become more pronounced with regard to housing. Using longitudinal individual-level register data from Statistics Netherlands, this paper investigates how and to what extent parental wealth background is associated with socio-spatial inequalities and residential segregation in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Results show that spatial segregation based on parental wealth is strong. Parental wealth background has notable spatial consequences, as it both deepens existing socio-spatial divides and establishes new ones. The influence of parental wealth background on socio-spatial divides is stronger in Amsterdam than in Rotterdam, suggesting that especially in the high demand Amsterdam housing context, young adults may need to draw on parental resources to outcompete other households and/or to acquire housing in expensive areas.