The Influence of Metro Services on Urban Agglomeration in Newly Built Neighbourhoods: A Case Study of East London

Abstract

The ultimate purpose of studying the effects of metro on new neighbourhoods in East London is to learn lessons for the fast-growing cities in the global south. London has the longest history of development metro services in the world and is currently at the forefront in adapting to the post covid travel patterns. Its experience and lessons will be valuable to the fast growing cities in the global south. This investigation examines the core of the economic impacts of metro services, i.e. how the metro impacts urban agglomeration and its impacts on productivity. It highlights the agglomeration externalities of the two main metro services in East London, Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and Jubilee Line (JLE). This investigation uses extensive data and the QGIS software to assess their influence on economic mass and business productivity. Although many studies on these metro lines have previously been undertaken, and the research here demonstrate that there are yet valuable lessons we can learn from the development of these lines. The findings in this dissertation indicate that, first, purely relying on the population increases without a radical change in the distribution of the residential population in relation to the metro stations, the increases in the economic mass and productivity effects would be very modest. Secondly, if future residential population can be located closer to the metro stations through a new strategy of building new housing and neighbourhoods, the economic mass and productivity benefits can be multiple times higher. Thirdly, improving cycling and walking also compares well with the level of benefits achievable through metro, and because their catchments are complementary to those of the metro services, all those sustainable travel methods should work together to enhance the urban agglomeration effects and productivity.