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Satellite-Based Vehicle Flow Data to Assess Local Economic Activities

Author

Listed:
  • Eugenia Go

    (World Bank)

  • Kentaro Nakajima

    (Institute of Innovation Research, Hitotsubashi University)

  • Yasuyuki Sawada

    (Faculty of Economics, The University of Tokyo)

  • Kiyoshi Taniguchi

    (Asian Development Bank)

Abstract

Spatially and seasonally granular measures of local economic activities are increasingly required in a variety of economic analyses. We propose using novel vehicle density data obtained from daytime satellite images to quantify the local economic activity involving human and goods traffic flows. Validation exercises show that vehicle density is a good proxy for local economic levels. We then apply our data to evaluate the impact of a new international airport terminal opening in the Philippines on local economies. The results show that the opening of the new terminal has spatially and seasonally heterogeneous impacts that conventional data cannot ca

Suggested Citation

  • Eugenia Go & Kentaro Nakajima & Yasuyuki Sawada & Kiyoshi Taniguchi, 2023. "Satellite-Based Vehicle Flow Data to Assess Local Economic Activities," CIRJE F-Series CIRJE-F-1209, CIRJE, Faculty of Economics, University of Tokyo.
    • Handle: RePEc:tky:fseres:2022cf1209
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    File URL: http://www.cirje.e.u-tokyo.ac.jp/research/dp/2023/2023cf1209.pdf
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