Our study uncovers the causal link between railway expansions in Tokyo and a significant increase in the number of university graduates and high-skilled workers, with the effects being notably more pronounced in areas initially having lower proportions of those groups. We examine the mechanisms behind this phenomenon by (1) demonstrating how railway expansions attract university graduates and high-skilled workers by reducing commute costs, (2) improve access to universities, and (3) boost railway ridership. Our analysis employs both a difference-in-differences framework and a market access approach to separately evaluate the gentrification near new stations and the dispersion of human capital driven by enhanced network connectivity. The results reveal that university graduate rates and skilled worker rates rise by an average of 2.5 % and 1.4 %, respectively, due to improved connectivity. These findings underscore the value of railway expansion in fostering human capital development and provide critical insights for urban planners, policymakers, and transportation authorities, emphasizing the need to align transportation development with strategies for equitable urban growth.

中文翻译：

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铁路扩建与人力资本增长：东京的 20 年因果分析


我们的研究揭示了东京铁路扩建与大学毕业生和高技能工人数量的显着增加之间的因果关系，这种影响在最初这些群体比例较低的地区明显更为明显。我们通过以下方式研究这一现象背后的机制：（1） 展示铁路扩建如何通过降低通勤成本来吸引大学毕业生和高技能工人，（2） 改善进入大学的机会，以及 （3） 增加铁路乘客量。我们的分析采用双重差分框架和市场准入方法，分别评估新车站附近的高档化和增强的网络连接驱动的人力资本分散。结果显示，由于连通性改善，大学毕业生率和技术工人率分别平均上升了 2.5% 和 1.4%。这些发现强调了铁路扩建在促进人力资本开发方面的价值，并为城市规划者、政策制定者和交通当局提供了重要的见解，强调了使交通发展与公平城市增长战略保持一致的必要性。