Project number: NCST-HF-01

Funding source: Haynes Foundation

Contract number: GR1046676

Funding amount: $57,522

Performance Period: 1/1/2014 to 12/30/2015

Link to full seminar video: https://youtu.be/sESvo66LeMg

Project Description

Over the past 20 years, local and regional governments in the Los Angeles metropolitan area have invested significant resources in building rail transit infrastructure that connects major employment centers. One goal of transit infrastructure is to catalyze the development of high density, mixed-use housing and commercial activity within walking distance of rail stations, referred to as Transit Oriented Development (TOD). This project examines the quantity, type, and mix of economic activity that has occurred around newly built rail stations in Los Angeles over the past 20 years. Specifically, have the number of jobs or the housing market characteristics changed near stations? We use establishment-level data on employment and property-level data on housing transactions to analyze changes in several employment and housing outcomes. Results suggest that new rail stations were located in areas that, prior to station opening, had unusually high employment density and mostly multifamily rental housing. There is no evidence of change in employment density, housing sales volume, or new housing development within five years after station opening. Regressions suggest that a subset of stations saw increased employment density within five to ten years after opening. Case studies of zoning around selected stations indicate that prior land uses and changes after station opening varied considerably across station areas.

Research seminar highlights video