On August 12^th, METRANS hosted its second Summer Research Seminar, titled “Transit Oriented Development and Community Sense, a Case Study in Hong Kong.” The seminar featured USC Price School graduate, Dr. Sylvia He, who is now an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography and Resource Management at the Chinese University in Hong Kong. Dr. He primarily specializes in studying travel behavior in Hong Kong and mainland China, however, she is currently researching the socio-economic impacts of light rail stations in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong’s light rail transit system operates using a unique “Rail plus Property” business model. Under this model, the government leases land to the transit operator, Mass Transit Railway (MTR), who then works with private land developers to construct the station and other improvements on the land. This model has been successful in creating a financially sustainable transit service in a city of high density and high ridership. Due to this success, the “Rail plus Property” business model is highly studied, with other cities looking to mimic the model. He and her colleagues wanted to study the MTR system beyond the bottom line and look at the impacts MTR stations have on the surrounding communities.

He and her research team conducted telephone surveys f of Hong Kong residents in early 2016 to obtain their perceptions of community sense and gentrification, and then evaluated the responses as they relate to the MTR stations in the neighborhoods. The research team evaluated community sense based on the survey taker’s self-reported perception of neighborhood ties and involvement in community affairs.

He and her colleagues found that there is a discontinuity in community sense over time. During the planning and pre-construction phase of a new MTR station, community sense is stable, however, during the construction phase community sense drops, and then returns and slightly increases following the completion of the station. Additional findings include: a high community sense for public transit users; neighborhoods without an MTR station had lower community sense than in neighborhoods that had planned MTR stations in the future; and households with low socio-economic status (SES) had a higher sense of community in high gentrification areas.

These results raised several policy questions and provide valuable insight into the impacts of MTR stations on its surrounding areas. One large question is how can disruption on community sense be eased during MTR station planning and construction? This may be addressed through improved public participation and citizen empowerment during the pre- and post- construction phases. Additionally, this and continued research may shed some light on the displacement effects of the stations.

Looking to the future, He and her colleagues will be drafting, presenting, and publishing their results. The team is working on compiling land value data surrounding MTR stations and will be exploring how increased land value has affected neighborhoods as part of this research project.

Lauren Deaderick

Lauren Deaderick is a first year graduate student at the USC Price School of Public Policy pursuing dual degrees in Master of Planning and Master of Public Policy. She previously worked for the USDOT Volpe Center as a transportation planner. She can be reached at [email protected].