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If You Build It, Will They Come?

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  • Eric Thompson

Abstract

This report provides a review and synthesis of the many economic studies that have attempted to assess whether public highway expenditures have resulted in improved economic grow. On balance, over the past three decades, the evidence indicates that such expenditures re-organize patterns of regional commerce rather than contribute to net new growth. One can find localized exceptions to this general finding.

Suggested Citation

  • Eric Thompson, 2005. "If You Build It, Will They Come?," Technical Reports 050513, Brandmeyer Center for Applied Economics, School of Business, University of Kansas.
    • Handle: RePEc:bks:tchrpt:050513
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    File URL: https://bcae.ku.edu/repec/bks/tchrpt/TR050513.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kevin T. Duffy-Deno & Randall W. Eberts, 1996. "Public Infrastructure and Regional Economic Development: A Simultaneous Equations Approach," Book chapters authored by Upjohn Institute researchers, in: Niles Hansen & Kenneth J. Button & Peter Nijkamp (ed.),Regional Policy and Regional Integration, pages 295-309, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
    2. Douglas Holtz-Eakin & Amy Schwartz, 1995. "Spatial productivity spillovers from public infrastructure: Evidence from state highways," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 2(3), pages 459-468, October.
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    4. John G. Fernald, 1999. "Roads to Prosperity? Assessing the Link between Public Capital and Productivity," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 89(3), pages 619-638, June.
    5. Rees, John, 1972. "Organization Theory and Corporate Decisions: Some Implications for Industrial Location Analysis," Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, Mid-Continent Regional Science Association, vol. 2(1), pages 1-10.
    6. Douglas R. Dalenberg & Mark D. Partridge & Dan S. Rickman, 1998. "Public Infrastructure: Pork or Jobs Creator?," Public Finance Review, , vol. 26(1), pages 24-52, January.
    7. Holtz-Eakin, Douglas, 1994. "Public-Sector Capital and the Productivity Puzzle," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 76(1), pages 12-21, February.
    8. Rephann, Terance & Isserman, Andrew, 1994. "New highways as economic development tools: An evaluation using quasi-experimental matching methods," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(6), pages 723-751, December.
    9. Garcia-Mila, Teresa & McGuire, Therese J., 1992. "The contribution of publicly provided inputs to states' economies," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(2), pages 229-241, June.
    10. Randall W. Eberts, 1997. "Highway infrastructure: policy issues for regions," Assessing the Midwest Economy SL-2, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
    11. Lyon, Randolph M., 1990. "Federal discount rate policy, the shadow price of capital, and challenges for reforms," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 18(2), pages 29-50, March.
    12. Ernest P. Goss, 1994. "The Impact Of Infrastructure Spending On New Business Formation: The Importance Of State Economic Development Spending," The Review of Regional Studies, Southern Regional Science Association, vol. 24(3), pages 265-279, Winter.
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    Cited by:

    1. Eric Thompson & David I. Rosenbaum & Arthur P. Hall, 2008. "Evaluating Roads as Investments: A Primer on Benefit-Cost and Economic-Impact Analysis," Technical Reports 080425, Brandmeyer Center for Applied Economics, School of Business, University of Kansas.

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