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Road capacity, domestic trade and regional outcomes
[Trade and the topography of the spatial economy]

Author

Listed:
  • A Kerem Coşar
  • Banu Demir
  • Devaki Ghose
  • Nathaniel Young

Abstract

What is the impact on intra-national trade and regional economic outcomes when the quality and lane-capacity of an existing paved road network is expanded significantly? We investigate this question for the case of Turkey, which undertook a large-scale public investment in roads during the 2000s. Using spatially disaggregated data on road upgrades and domestic transactions, we estimate a large positive impact of reduced travel times on trade as well as local manufacturing employment and wages. A quantitative exercise using a workhorse model of spatial equilibrium implies heterogeneous effects across locations, with aggregate real income gains reaching 2–3% in the long-run. Reductions in travel times increased local employment-to-population ratio but had no effect on local population. We extend the model by endogenizing the labor supply decision to capture this finding. The model-implied elasticity of employment rates to travel time reductions captures about one-third of the empirical elasticity.

Suggested Citation

  • A Kerem Coşar & Banu Demir & Devaki Ghose & Nathaniel Young, 2022. "Road capacity, domestic trade and regional outcomes [Trade and the topography of the spatial economy]," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 22(5), pages 901-929.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:jecgeo:v:22:y:2022:i:5:p:901-929.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/jeg/lbab045
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Despina Gavresi & Anastasia Litina & George Tsiachtsiras, 2022. "Railways and Roadways to Trust," Discussion Paper Series 2022_08, Department of Economics, University of Macedonia, revised Sep 2022.
    2. Bottasso, Anna & Conti, Maurizio & Santagata, Marta, 2022. "Transport Infrastructure and Trade: A Survey of the Empirical Literature," Economia Internazionale / International Economics, Camera di Commercio Industria Artigianato Agricoltura di Genova, vol. 75(4), pages 447-464.
    3. Branco, Catarina & Dohse, Dirk C. & Pereira dos Santos, João & Tavares, José, 2023. "Nobody’s gonna slow me down? The effects of a transportation cost shock on firm performance and behavior," Open Access Publications from Kiel Institute for the World Economy 273314, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    4. Marta Santagata, 2022. "Roads and intra‐national trade: Evidence from Italian regions," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 101(6), pages 1383-1409, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Trade; market access; transportation infrastructure;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes
    • R41 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - Transportation: Demand, Supply, and Congestion; Travel Time; Safety and Accidents; Transportation Noise

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