Perspectives on international migration, urban social transformation and the research/policy interface

Abstract

This paper examines some characteristics of social transformation in cities on the Pacific rim, especially Los Angeles, Vancouver, Sydney and Auckland. At the beginning of the new millennium, these cities are all experiencing massive social changes associated with the effects of several decades of extensive immigration, substantial restructuring of both the economy and welfare systems and, in some cases, extensive emigration of highly skilled young professionals responding to an intensely competitive market for their skills.