Self-consciousness inequality under spatial polarization: Evidence from growing and declining neighborhoods of Osaka City, Japan

Spatial polarization is increasing in urban neighborhoods worldwide, prompting substantial attention to its measurement. However, self-evaluations of spatial polarization by individual neighborhood residents have not been fully explored. To fill this gap, we proposed various socioeconomic indicators and incorporated them into a binomial logit model. We aimed to determine how individuals' perceptions of social status were influenced by neighborhood conditions by examining the significance of each variable and measuring its impact on self-evaluation. Thus, we gathered neighborhood data, including growing/declining neighborhood characteristics and respondents' personal attributes, from several national databases. We also collected data from 520 participants from Osaka City, Japan, via a questionnaire self-evaluating their social level and mobility. Our results highlight clear inequalities in social level and mobility self-evaluations between residents of different neighborhoods, as well as various characteristics of growing neighborhoods that positively influence these evaluations. Furthermore, positive effects of neighborhoods tended to correspond to residents with higher incomes, while negative effects tended to correspond to residents with lower incomes. However, as characteristics of both growing and declining neighborhoods were confirmed to be negative, this suggests that homogenization of neighborhood characteristics might negatively affect the self-evaluated spatial polarization among residents in both growing and declining neighborhoods. •The study clarified residents' self-evaluations of their social status and mobility in neighborhoods affected by spatial polarization.•The study identified several characteristics of growing neighborhoods that contribute to residents’ positive self-evaluations.•Gentrification and socioeconomic differences impact the self-evaluation of urbanites.•The subjective living levels of residents are linked to neighborhood growth or decline due to gentrification.•Homogenization of neighborhood characteristics might negatively affect the self-evaluated spatial polarization among residents in both growing and declining neighborhoods.