Can Highway Networks Promote Productivity? Evidence from China

The total mileage of highways in China ranks first in the world and constitutes an important symbol of China’s modernization. Economists, however, continue to debate whether highways always promote economic growth in every region and how to assess the impact. In this paper, we first use the OD-MATRI...

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Main Authors: Yumei Lin, Junpei Huang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2021-01-01
Series:Journal of Advanced Transportation
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/6860979
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author Yumei Lin
Junpei Huang
author_facet Yumei Lin
Junpei Huang
author_sort Yumei Lin
collection DOAJ
description The total mileage of highways in China ranks first in the world and constitutes an important symbol of China’s modernization. Economists, however, continue to debate whether highways always promote economic growth in every region and how to assess the impact. In this paper, we first use the OD-MATRIX method to calculate the shortest highway traveling time among 332 prefecture-level cities in China from 2000 to 2013. It is shown that the reduction of traveling time brought by highway construction significantly improves enterprise productivity. Second, to further explore the mechanism at work, we apply market potential approach to examine its effect on productivity. It is found that on average, the enhanced market potential induced by highway construction in China positively affect enterprise productivity. Finally, we calculate urban centrality via the space gravity model and conduct a sample regression according to the rank of urban centrality. Interestingly, we find that the impact of highways on productivity varies depending on cities’ degree of urban centrality. Highways have a positive impact in high-centrality cities but a negative impact in low-centrality cities. This correlation can be explained, in turn, by factors that include labor and capital flow from low-centrality cities to high-centrality cities.
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spelling doaj-art-8b78c79aeb2f40738e9b8114c245dc5e2025-02-03T06:11:12ZengWileyJournal of Advanced Transportation2042-31952021-01-01202110.1155/2021/6860979Can Highway Networks Promote Productivity? Evidence from ChinaYumei Lin0Junpei Huang1School of MarxismSchool of Economics and ManagementThe total mileage of highways in China ranks first in the world and constitutes an important symbol of China’s modernization. Economists, however, continue to debate whether highways always promote economic growth in every region and how to assess the impact. In this paper, we first use the OD-MATRIX method to calculate the shortest highway traveling time among 332 prefecture-level cities in China from 2000 to 2013. It is shown that the reduction of traveling time brought by highway construction significantly improves enterprise productivity. Second, to further explore the mechanism at work, we apply market potential approach to examine its effect on productivity. It is found that on average, the enhanced market potential induced by highway construction in China positively affect enterprise productivity. Finally, we calculate urban centrality via the space gravity model and conduct a sample regression according to the rank of urban centrality. Interestingly, we find that the impact of highways on productivity varies depending on cities’ degree of urban centrality. Highways have a positive impact in high-centrality cities but a negative impact in low-centrality cities. This correlation can be explained, in turn, by factors that include labor and capital flow from low-centrality cities to high-centrality cities.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/6860979
spellingShingle Yumei Lin
Junpei Huang
Can Highway Networks Promote Productivity? Evidence from China
Journal of Advanced Transportation
title Can Highway Networks Promote Productivity? Evidence from China
title_full Can Highway Networks Promote Productivity? Evidence from China
title_fullStr Can Highway Networks Promote Productivity? Evidence from China
title_full_unstemmed Can Highway Networks Promote Productivity? Evidence from China
title_short Can Highway Networks Promote Productivity? Evidence from China
title_sort can highway networks promote productivity evidence from china
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/6860979
work_keys_str_mv AT yumeilin canhighwaynetworkspromoteproductivityevidencefromchina
AT junpeihuang canhighwaynetworkspromoteproductivityevidencefromchina