Abstract
We investigate whether increasing cycling activity affects the emergence of new local businesses. Historical amenity data from OpenStreetMap is used to quantify change in shop and sustenance amenity counts. We apply an instrumental variable framework to investigate a causal relationship and to account for endogeneity in the model. Measures of cycling infrastructure serve as instruments. The impact is evaluated on the level of 4835 Lower Super Output Areas in Greater London. Our results indicate that an increase in cycling trips significantly contributes to the emergence of new local shops and businesses. Limitations regarding data quality, zero-inflation and residual spatial autocorrelation are discussed. While our findings correspond to previous investigations stating positive economic effects of cycling, we advance research in the field by providing a new dataset of unprecedented high granularity and size. Furthermore, this is the first study in cycling research looking at business amenities as a measure of economic activity. The insights from our analysis can enhance understandings of how cycling affects the development of local urban economies and may thus be used to assess and evaluate transport policies and investments. Beyond this, our study highlights the value of open data in city research.
Highlights
The transportation sector is one of the major factors that powers a thriving economy
We have sought to isolate the effect of increased cycling activity on the openings of new local businesses, shops and sustenance amenities
We have used this bike-sharing data to quantify cycling activity, along with further measures of the cycling ecosystem: the location counts of cycle hire stations, bicycle parking facilities, bicycle shops and bicycle accidents
Summary
The transportation sector is one of the major factors that powers a thriving economy. Ever since the first human civilizations started trading, the global economic system has crucially depended upon transport infrastructure and its adaptation to new requirements and needs [1]. Especially urban areas rely on sophisticated, multimodal transportation networks to meet travellers’ capacity and connectivity requirements. The rise of new technologies has helped to improve existing transportation infrastructure and enabled new means, such as, for instance, electric vehicles or shared mobility concepts. These developments have given rise to the idea of ‘smart cities’, describing the interconnection among physical and non-physical environments and their role in shaping urban performance [2].
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