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Transport Infrastructure and the Decentralization of Cities in the People's Republic of China

Author

Listed:
  • Nathaniel Baum-Snow

    (Rotmann School of Management, University of Toronto)

  • Matthew A. Turner

    (Department of Economics, Brown University)

Abstract

It is widely believed that transport infrastructure has important impacts on the development of cities. Until recently, however, there has been little systematic evidence with which to evaluate claims about the effects of transport infrastructure on the development of cities and regions. In this paper, we describe the evolution of transport infrastructure in the People's Republic of China and how it relates to the evolution of location patterns of population and production in Chinese cities and their surrounding regions. We summarize empirical evidence from Baum-Snow et al. (2017) on the causal effects of various types of transport infrastructure on the decentralization of cities in the People's Republic of China. Finally, we put our results in the context of the existing literature on the effects of infrastructure on productivity and the allocation of resources across locations.

Suggested Citation

  • Nathaniel Baum-Snow & Matthew A. Turner, 2017. "Transport Infrastructure and the Decentralization of Cities in the People's Republic of China," Asian Development Review, MIT Press, vol. 34(2), pages 25-50, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:tpr:adbadr:v:34:y:2017:i:2:p:25-50
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Blog mentions

    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. The case for investing in roads and railroads - evidence from China
      by noreply@blogger.com (Gulzar Natarajan) in Urbanomics on 2018-10-01 20:51:00

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Zhenxiong Huang & Hangtian Xu & Jianming Li & Nengsheng Luo, 2020. "Has highway construction narrowed the urban–rural income gap? Evidence from Chinese cities," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 99(3), pages 705-723, June.
    2. Richard Bluhm & Axel Dreher & Andreas Fuchs & Bradley C. Parks & Austin M. Strange & Michael J. Tierney, 2020. "Connective Financing - Chinese Infrastructure Projects and the Diffusion of Economic Activity in Developing Countries," CESifo Working Paper Series 8344, CESifo.
    3. Posada, Héctor M. & García-Suaza, Andres, 2022. "Transit infrastructure and informal housing: Assessing an expansion of Medellín's Metrocable system," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 209-228.
    4. Egger, Peter H. & Loumeau, Gabriel & Loumeau, Nicole, 2023. "China's dazzling transport-infrastructure growth: Measurement and effects," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    5. Ciani, Emanuele & de Blasio, Guido & Poy, Samuele, 2022. "A freeway to prosperity? Evidence from Calabria, South of Italy," Economics of Transportation, Elsevier, vol. 29(C).
    6. Duan, Hongbo & Yuan, Deyu & Cai, Zongwu & Wang, Shouyang, 2022. "Valuing the impact of climate change on China’s economic growth," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 155-174.
    7. Philipp Rode & Alexandra Gomes & Muhammad Adeel & Fizzah Sajjad & Andreas Koch & Syed Monjur Murshed, 2020. "Between Abundance and Constraints: The Natural Resource Equation of Asia’s Diverging, Higher-Income City Models," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-33, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    infrastructure; People's Republic of China; railroads; roads;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O20 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Development Planning and Policy - - - General
    • R40 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - General

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