The catalytic effects of public transport infrastructure on urban renewal: the case of level crossing removal projects in Melbourne

Transportation and land use are closely linked, and therefore, changes in public transport infrastructure can influence the land use and activities of the surrounding area. Understanding these effects enables developers to implement transportation services that are most useful to the local area and residents as part of urban renewal projects. However, the by-product effects of transport infrastructure on other sectors, such as land use, have been minimally researched. This paper aims to present the first empirical insight into the catalytic effects (i.e. impacts on other industries) of improvements to public transport infrastructure on urban development, redevelopment, and regeneration. The study employed a case-control study design method; a total of 13 cases of level crossing removals in Melbourne were selected, along with 13 control sites. Changes in land use patterns were measured between the case and control sites, between 2015 (prior to level crossing removal) and 2020 (at least two years after the removal), using historical Nearmap, complemented by Google Earth, Google Street View, and official land use data. Difference-in-difference (DiD) models were estimated to identify the effects of the level crossing removal on the surrounding built environment. The study found that the case sites experienced a statistically significant increase in commercial land (DiD score = 10.71%), open space (7.67%), and parking (4.95%), at a spatial distance of 100 metres from level crossing removal; however, a decrease in residential land was found at 200 metres (-28.5%), and railroad on the ground (40+%) at all spatial distances. Overall, these changes are expected to improve the quality of life for residents living near the case sites.