Neighbors and visitors: impact of diversity on attitudes toward migrants

Planning inclusive cities requires understanding the factors shaping residents’ attitudes towards outgroup members, including how exposure to migrants influences these views. While previous research has examined the relationship between neighborhood diversity and attitudes, this diversity is typically measured from a residential standpoint. Building on the mobility turn in social science, this study expands the lens by incorporating the role of visitor diversity—that is, individuals who reside in other neighborhoods but pass through a given area. Drawing on geolocated survey responses from 1,566 participants in Belgium and Twitter data from 31,488 users to capture patterns of visitor mobility, we find that a higher proportion of migrants among both residents and visitors is associated with more positive attitudes toward migrants, consistent with the contact hypothesis. These findings have implications for urban policy, suggesting that promoting inclusion requires attention not only to residential integration but also to the dynamics of everyday mobility.