Impact of high-speed rail on green space coverage in China: From the spatial spillover effect and regional disparity perspectives

Transport infrastructure construction is often pursued for its economic benefits. However, it is typically accompanied by environmental disruption, which can extend to neighboring areas. This study analyzes the impact of high-speed rail (HSR) stations on the green space coverage rate (GSCR) using panel data from 291 cities including 287 prefecture-level cities and 4 direct-administered municipalities in China over the period 2009–2020. GSCR is calculated as the proportion of green space coverage to the total land area. Results indicate that the opening of HSR stations directly reduced the GSCRs of local cities by 0.16 percentage points and those of neighboring cities by 0.14 percentage points, leading to a total average reduction of 0.3 percentage points. Given that the average GSCR is only 1.08 %, this signifies a strong negative impact and a spatial spillover effect. A high level of regional disparity in GSCR is also evident, as indicated by a Gini coefficient greater than 0.7 throughout the study period. This indicates that a small proportion of cities, less than 3.5 %, account for over 50 % of the total GSCR. Notably, the development of HSR has been found to considerably alleviate this regional disparity. These findings underscore the need for policymakers to consider local and regional impacts when making decisions related to land use, infrastructure, and green spaces. Furthermore, addressing regional disparity is crucial for fostering a harmonious society, requiring close coordination in future planning.