Rethinking Highway Effects on Population Change

Little systematic work has been undertaken to explain highway impacts on population change. In this study, the authors review the literature in regional economics and demographics in an attempt to shed light on the mechanisms by which investments in highway infrastructure influence population change. First, they categorize the indirect causal paths by which highways influence population change at the county and municipal levels. Then they propose a spatio-temporal approach to revisit highway effects on population change from the stage of highway development and areal characteristics specifically. Finally, it is concluded that at the county and municipal levels, the effect of highways on population change varies from preconstruction to postconstruction periods and across urban, suburban, and rural areas.