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Lookup NU author(s): Ziye Lan, Dr Alistair FordORCiD, Professor Roberto PalacinORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
© 2025 by the authors. With the growing focus on sustainable development, light rail transit (LRT) systems are increasingly viewed as key drivers of low-carbon mobility and spatial equity. However, as urban spatial structures become more stable, it remains unclear whether LRT systems can still enhance quality of life, property values and contribute to inclusive urban regeneration. This study explores Manchester, Sheffield, and Nottingham, three UK cities with recent LRT development experience, as case studies. Using LRT constructed or expanded between 1995 and 2019 as a quasi-natural experiment, a difference-in-differences (DID) model is applied to estimate the causal impact of LRT expansion on property prices. The results indicate that LRT construction can lead to a 4.44% to 8.29% increase in nearby property values, with a lagged effect observed after implementation. The impact is more pronounced in areas with well-developed bus networks and in lower-income areas. Further mechanism analysis suggests that the effect is indirectly driven by improved accessibility and enhanced convenience of access to local amenities.
Author(s): Lan Z, Ford A, Palacin R
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Sustainability
Year: 2025
Volume: 17
Issue: 23
Online publication date: 23/11/2025
Acceptance date: 13/11/2025
Date deposited: 22/12/2025
ISSN (electronic): 2071-1050
Publisher: MDPI
URL: https://doi.org/10.3390/su172310505
DOI: 10.3390/su172310505
Data Access Statement: Public data used in this study (PPD, Census, OSM) are openly available from the original sources. Ordnance Survey POI data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author due to copyright and licensing restrictions.
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