Methods to Evaluate Agglomeration Effects in Transport System appraisal Frameworks

Haapamäki TainaKauhanen AnttiLaakso SeppoMetsäranta HeikkiOjanperä MariannaRiukula KristaVäänänen Touko

Abstract

The spatial concentration of production and population to urban areas is an important theme in societal discussion. The spatial concentration of economic activity is called agglomeration in urban economics. The economic impact of agglomeration is seen in the productivity of firms. Understanding agglomeration and its impacts is important from the point of view of transport, business and urbanization policies.

This report lays out a theoretical framework that can be used to analyze the impacts of agglomeration and examine how the improvements of the transport system affects agglomeration. The recent empirical literature on the impact of the transport system on agglomeration is reviewed and the challenges of this literature are discussed. The focus is especially on how the impact of changes in the transport system on agglomeration can be analyzed in a reliable way. The main threats to reliable analysis are double counting of benefits and poor research designs leading to too large estimates of the elasticity between accessibility and productivity. The report provides recommendations on how the transport appraisal frameworks should be developed to capture agglomeration effects, and highlights the need for Finnish research on this subject.

Publication info

Research group
Labour market and education
Series
ETLA Raportit - Reports 101
Date
06.05.2020
Keywords
Transport system, Agglomeration, Wider economic impacts
ISSN
2323-2447, 2323-2455 (Pdf)
JEL
R42, H43, H54
Pages
53
Language
Finnish