POPULATION CHANGE AND SPATIAL TRANSFORMATION IN THE NETHERLANDS

The paper starts from the hypothesis that the examined area is characterized by a process of intensive functional transformation accompanied by certain population changes. The transformation of the settlement structure is shown in the area of Sumadija district. The trend of demographic and economic development was observed with a historical overview. It was upgraded with quantitative analyzes (chain index, population change index, functional classification, index of specialization and localization) for the period 1971-2011. The aim was to determine the degree of socio-economic transformation of Sumadija district and the regularities according to which these changes took place. Industrialization generally brings changes in the functional orientation and redistribution of the population. The deagrarianization was one of the main features, with parallel emigration of the rural population. These changes were intensive in 1961-1981, when the peak of employment in secondary activities was registered. Since then, significant spatial transformation in Sumadija district was visible. Special analyzes were used to confirm the assumption that Kragujevac is a dominant labor center, an administrative and service nucleus, which has a propulsive influence on the development of its immediate surroundings (suburban belt) and the wider area (Sumadija district). The contribution of this paper is in the understanding of the scope, spatial distribution, and intensity of changes that have occurred in Sumadija district. It introduces the historical circumstances and quantitative research into a broader concept as a basis for understanding the trajectories of spatial and socio-economic development, and responds to many social challenges specific for this territory.

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If you build it, they will change: Evaluating the impact of commuter rail stations on real estate values and neighborhood composition in the Rotterdam–The Hague metropolitan area, the Netherlands

Journal of Transport and Land Use ◽

10.5198/jtlu.2021.1795 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 949-973

Author(s):

Amir Forouhar ◽

Dea Van Lierop

Keyword(s):

Real Estate ◽

The Netherlands ◽

Metropolitan Area ◽

Property Values ◽

Spatial Transformation ◽

Metropolitan Regions ◽

Commuter Rail ◽

Residential Properties ◽

The Hague ◽

The Impact

In many metropolitan regions, transit-oriented developments are built to motivate the use of sustainable travel by promoting urban growth within walking distances of public transport stations. Changes in residential property values are a common way to assess the success of transit-oriented developments. However, studies that focus on property values alone have reported mixed effects. This paper attempts to evaluate the land value impact around commuter rail stations by analyzing the change in property values within the context of the transformation of socio-spatial neighborhood attributes. The study sets out to estimate the effect of Randstad Rail stations using real estate transaction data of residential properties and neighborhood socio-spatial attributes in the Rotterdam–the Hague metropolitan area of the Netherlands covering a period from 1985 to 2018. Adopting a quasi-experimental design, the effect is estimated for properties within different catchment zones around three commuter rail stations using a Difference-in-Differences Model and Multivariate Analysis of Variance. The results demonstrate the overall negative effect of the Randstad Rail on the value of residential properties at a distance equal to or less than 400 meters from the selected rail stations in the range of -18.8% to -11.5%. In contrast, a positive effect is observed for the residential properties located within a radius of 400 to 800 meters from the rail stations, which is estimated to be +15% to +33.2%. The findings also indicate a considerable socio-spatial transformation in the neighborhood composition after the opening of the rail stations in terms of neighborhood population density, land-use density, housing characteristics, and car ownership, which significantly affect the magnitude and direction of the impact.

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