Dr. Vania Licio (p)

This paper analyzes the effect played by the transport infrastructure in the development of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Historically, water was the main mean of transport for the movement of goods and people. However, thanks to advances in technology, during the last two hundred years, railways, first, and highways, then, became the main means of transport in modern economies. In the developing and underdeveloped world, rivers hold their key historical role. States that benefit from the existence of navigable inland waterways (like rivers or canals) take advantage of their transport function. In these countries, the often poor, ruined, and fragmented rail and road networks represent the main obstacles that prevent the positive effect that transport infrastructure could have on economic growth, and the dependence on natural means of transport is higher compared to the developed world. The Congo River, which constitutes an intricate transport system of waterways of more than 15,000 km, represents the backbone of the transport infrastructure in the DRC, where the trimodal river-railway-road network is headed by the river. Rivers, if navigable, have a twofold `nature': they are a pure geographical condition (first-nature geography) and act as a transport infrastructure (second-nature geography). This `dual role' is still neglected and has not explicitly been considered in the literature. On the other hand, together with the man-made infrastructure, navigable rivers constitute an integrated system of complementary `goods': areas, where rivers are navigable, do not have railways or main roads. By using 10x10 km grid cells and geocoded data, this paper investigates, on the one hand, how beneficial is the Congo River for the economic development (mining activity, crop production, nightlight luminosity) of the DRC; on the other, it focuses on the relationship between natural and man-made transport infrastructure. Empirical results show that if both railways and roads, although in a dilapidated condition, positively affect contemporary economic development, the Congo River and the whole network of tributaries and small rivers fall short of the role they could have in the economic growth of the country. The inter-modal river-rail-road transport system is still far from being a real opportunity for the country: the waterway transport benefits from the existence of the man-made one, but the reverse does not apply.

Dr. Yeonsu Han (p), Associate Professor Jaemin Song

Metropolitan rail systems play a pivotal role in urban transportation, offering not just a transport choice but also a critical influence on connectivity and mobility in metropolitan areas. Improvements in public transportation accessibility have shortened travel times, freeing people from time constraints. Yet, reduced commute time due to improved transit systems might not resolve the issue of lengthy commutes entirely. Commute quality can deteriorate during peak times if public transportation becomes congested. Additionally, enhanced transit accessibility might incentivize individuals to work in city centers, known for premium job opportunities, rather than seeking employment closer to their homes. This is particularly true as these improved connections decrease travel costs from more affordable suburban locales.

Thus, while a robust intercity transportation network in metropolitan regions can reduce traffic congestion, it might inadvertently intensify job-housing spatial disparities. This research emphasizes the need to assess changes in commuting time and distances following inauguration of new urban railways. Grasping how metropolitan rail expansion impacts commuting patterns in adjacent areas offers crucial insight into spatial imbalances emerging from suburbanization. A particular focus must be on interplay between job accessibility and proximity, a longstanding objective in urban planning.

This research employed the difference-in-differences method (DID), an econometric approach designed to discern the causal effects of rail expansion in the Seoul Metropolitan Area. We sourced data from transportation card systems, which offer more detailed spatial-temporal insight into starting points than prior O-D datasets. The study delves deeper into the intertwined relationship between transportation accessibility and job-housing balance, while shedding light on how commuting patterns shift with enhanced connectivity. In our preliminary analysis, we observed an uptick in commuting distances with introduction of new urban rail stations. Interestingly, while commuting distances shrank in administrative regions without a rail station, they expanded in areas gaining new stations. This implies that urban rail expansions bolstering accessibility to suburban locales might encourage people to choose farther residential and workplace locations. Consequently, this has amplified workplace mismatch as feasibility of suburban living and extended commutes rises. Additionally, the effect of new metro station inaugurations on commute distances varied by place. Notably, Incheon and Gyeonggi-do exhibited greater increases in commuting distance than Seoul. This pattern suggests that expanding metropolitan transport networks may intensify regional disparities in commuting lengths.

Dr. Thomas De Graaff (p)

Regional air transport policy requires precise information on the price elasticity of air travel demand. This paper provides a systematic overview of the current literature on the price-elasticity of aviation demand.

First, a theoretical model describes how prices in direct and indirect markets may influence each other. Here, capacity on a given flight is limited, and seats are allocated according to demand characteristics in the different markets served with the flight under consideration. In the next step, the theoretical model is translated to an empirical model that is used to explain why and how price elasticities differ across markets.

Second, this meta-analysis provides a comparative and quantitative reevaluation of previous research on the price elasticity of passenger air transport. Following a systematic literature search, estimates of price elasticities as well as information on geographic, economic and demographic sample variables and moderator variables are recorded from the literature. A flexible and robust estimation method is used to predict how prices elasticities in direct and indirect markets vary around the sample mean, whilst controlling for study specific effects and heterogeneity.