Conference Papers 2024

Seminar
Day 1 (18 Sep 2024), Session 3, Wider economic impacts and appraisal, 16:00 - 18:00

Status
Accepted, awaiting documents

Submitted by / Abstract owner
Wookjae Yang

Authors
Wookjae Yang, Seoul National University (presenter)
Justin S. Chang, Seoul National University

Short abstract
The study analyzes changes in jobs-housing balance after the intervention of LRT systems in different urban contexts. Types 1 and 2, linking the metropolitan or surrounding city centers with the urban peripheries, experience significant imbalances.

Abstract
Light Rail Transit (LRT) systems have been introduced across various regions of South Korea to address transportation needs and promote sustainable urban development, as it reduces auto dependency and improves accessibility to public transportation, employment, and other destinations. However, a lack of an integrated plan for LRT and jobs-housing opportunities has resulted in excess commuting and cost, which contradicts the expected outcome of providing an LRT system. Existing literature highlights methodological limitations that fail to control confounding variables and explain different regional types, leading to mixed findings on the jobs-housing balance.
The study aims to analyze changes in jobs-housing balance after the intervention of LRT systems in different urban contexts by using a quasi-experimental study design. This study categorizes regional typologies of LRT service areas into three types—type1 if a line connects "periphery-metropolitan center-periphery" areas; type2 if a line connects "city center–periphery"; type3 if a line serves "metropolitan center."
The study employs a quasi-experimental design incorporating propensity score matching (PSM) and difference-in-difference regression. PSM is used to match treatment (TAZ with LRT station) and control groups (TAZ without LRT station) with similarly built environment characteristics, thereby mitigating confounding effects of the built environment. Subsequently, difference-in-difference regression modeling estimates the treatment effects on job-housing balance resulting from LRT system operations.
The PSM results confirm the varied effects of LRT operations on the job-housing balance depending on the different regional types. Type 1 and 2, linking the metropolitan or surrounding city centers with the urban peripheries, experience significant imbalances, while the control groups show greater jobs-housing balance after the introduction of LRT. However, type 3, which mainly serves metropolitan centers, demonstrates no significant difference between treatment and control groups with a more imbalanced index. The DID results indicate treatment effects exist only in type 1. Although the treatment effect is shown to have negative associations with jobs-housing balance in all types, it is only statistically significant in type 1.
In conclusion, LRT systems, which particularly connect urban peripheries and centers, are more likely to cause a mismatch between jobs and housing distribution. The results offer policy implications for transportation and urban planners, enabling them to make informed decisions that not only improve transportation accessibility but also provide affordable housing and enough job opportunities around LRT stations.

Programme committee
Planning for Sustainable Land Use and Transport

Topic
Cities and transport