Evaluating the relationship between rail transit and industrial agglomeration: An observation from the Dallas-fort worth region, TX

Authors

Haitao Yu
Junfeng Jiao
Eric Houston
Zhong-Ren Peng

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

2018

Subject Area

place - north america, place - urban, mode - rail, mode - tram/light rail, land use - impacts, land use - planning

Keywords

Rail transit planning, Industrial agglomeration, Urban agglomeration, Light rail

Abstract

Recent studies have suggested that rail transit not only facilitates urban growth but also promotes urban agglomeration. Yet research that links industrial agglomeration with rail transit is scant—what types of industries are likely to cluster near rail stations? To what extent can rail transit access be seen as having an influence on industrial agglomeration? And how do these interactions vary as rail transit proximity increases? To answer these and related questions, we investigate the relationship between industrial agglomeration and rail transit in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area using the Longitudinal Employer Dynamics (LEHD) employment data from 2014 at the census block level. First, we use the Local Indicator of Spatial Association statistics (LISA) tests to identify industrial agglomeration patterns within the study area. We then use logistics models to reveal the relationship between rail transit proximity and industrial agglomeration. Our study finds that the impacts of rail transit on industrial agglomeration, in terms of magnitudes and signs, are mixed across industries. The varying results suggest that the benefits of rail transit access exhibit considerable demand from certain industry sectors including the manufacturing, knowledge, and services industries, while exerting weaker forces in pulling agglomeration in its immediate environs among other industries (including the retail trade sector). In practice, these results are useful for justifying evidence-based rail transit planning.

Rights

Permission to publish the abstract has been given by Elsevier, copyright remains with them.

Comments

Journal of Transport Geography home Page:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/09666923

Recommended Citation

Yu, H., Jiao, J., Houston, E., & Peng, Z. (2018). Evaluating the relationship between rail transit and industrial agglomeration: An observation from the Dallas-fort worth region, TX. Journal of Transport Geography, Vol. 67, pp. 33-52.