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Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: Night-time Lights of the USA

Author

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  • Dickinson, Jeffrey

Abstract

This paper seeks to advance understanding of the lights-income relationship by linking the newest generation of night-time satellite images, the VIIRS images, to nationwide, panel data on 3,101 US counties, including data on both population and income. I leverage the quality and frequency of those data sources and the VIIRS lights images to decompose the links between population growth, official GDP growth, and nighttime lights growth at the county level. I use a between-county estimator to identify the effects of time-invariant infrastructure features on night-time light. Roads, rail, ports, and airports I find to be strong contributors to increases in light. I find GDP growth is weakly linked with night-time lights though light growth is strongly linked with population growth even when controlling for substantial non-linearities which appear to be present.

Suggested Citation

  • Dickinson, Jeffrey, 2020. "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: Night-time Lights of the USA," MPRA Paper 100841, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:100841
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Yingyao Hu & Jiaxiong Yao, 2019. "Illuminating Economic Growth," IMF Working Papers 2019/077, International Monetary Fund.
    2. Hoyt Bleakley & Jeffrey Lin, 2012. "Portage and Path Dependence," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 127(2), pages 587-644.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    JEL classification:

    • C82 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Data Collection and Data Estimation Methodology; Computer Programs - - - Methodology for Collecting, Estimating, and Organizing Macroeconomic Data; Data Access
    • O51 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - U.S.; Canada
    • R10 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - General
    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes
    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)

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