Impacts and Dynamics of Transport Infrastructure Development on Regional Socioeconomic Growth
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Impacts and Dynamics of Transport Infrastructure Development on Regional Socioeconomic Growth.The article analyses the impact of new highway infrastructure construction on the socioeconomic development of the Hradec Králové region in the Czech Republic.Employing a difference-in-differences approach and a synthetic control method, the study examined the effect of a 50.2 km section of highway connecting Prague and Hradec Králové on indicators such as unemployment, population migration, housing construction, and the establishment of new businesses.To identify long-term impacts, data at the level of "municipalities with extended jurisdiction" were utilized over a nearly two decades with annual frequency.The results suggest that socioeconomic benefits do not occur automatically, and their direction and magnitude can vary depending on the specific regional economic and geographical conditions.At the start of the observed period, the region experienced an increase in unemployment but improved it over time.Following the construction of the highway, the region also experienced lower population growth than initially expected.However, population growth has gradually increased over time, suggesting that the effects of infrastructure investment are lagged.Housing development showed a delayed positive trend, while firm establishment demonstrated limited and statistically insignificant short-term effects.This research provides valuable insights for the planning of future infrastructure projects and their impact on regional development.Sociológia 2025, Vol.57 (No.
Authors: štěpán Kučera, Soňa Kukučková, Marek Litzman
Language: English
Subfield: Economics and Econometrics
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4413290671