The impact of motorways and public transport construction on residents’ satisfaction with neighbourhoods

Abstract

Transport infrastructures serve as pathways to employment, amenities, and services, contributing to the economic development of societies and the broader landscape. Development projects are usually measured on economic metrics; however, they can have short-term and long-term impacts on wellbeing due to disruptions during construction and changes in accessibility after construction. This study investigates the impact of transport construction projects on the residents’ satisfaction with surrounding neighbourhoods. This study uses the longitudinal survey of Household Income and Labour Dynamics of Australia (HILDA) from 2002 to 2019 to monitor and model satisfaction with neighbourhoods for residents living in the vicinity of 11 major transport construction projects in Sydney, Australia. The variations in residents’ satisfaction with neighbourhoods are investigated at macro and micro levels. At the macro level, average satisfactions before during and after construction are compared against each other. At the micro level, two random effect ordered logit models are developed to explain satisfaction while controlling for residents’ sociodemographic attributes and major life events. Both highway and underground projects have been shown to improve overall satisfaction among all residents. However, during the construction phase for underground, satisfaction with neighbourhoods tends to decrease. Interestingly, the highway projects exhibit a positive effect on residents even during the construction phase, with a higher positive effect for permanent residents.