Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP13129
Authors: Miquel Ángel García-López; Ilias Pasidis; Elisabet Viladecans-Marsal
Abstract: We estimate the causal effect of highway and railroad improvements on the suburbanization of population in Europe’s cities focusing on the role of their historic amenities. Using the variation in the origins and the endowments of these historic amenities in the centers of Europe’s cities, our results suggest that the effect of transportation networks on suburbanization was significantly lower in cities with historic amenities. Specifically, cities of Roman, Medieval or Renaissance-Baroque origins that maintained their historical heritage were more resilient to suburbanization caused by highway construction.
Keywords: historic amenities; suburbanization; european cities; transportation; architecture
JEL Codes: R4; R2; O4
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Transportation improvements (R42) | Suburbanization (R23) |
| Highway construction (R42) | Suburbanization (R23) |
| Historic amenities (N93) | Effect of transportation improvements on suburbanization (R41) |
| Quality and quantity of historic monuments (N63) | Degree of suburbanization (R11) |
| Historic transportation variables (L92) | Transportation improvements (R42) |