The successes and failures of a key transportation link: accessibility effects of Taiwan’s high-speed rail

Taiwan does not only have a high population density; its population exhibits a strong preference for high-density downtown living. Rich Taiwanese thus live downtown, not in the suburbs. In addition, the expected negative relationship between accessibility and the spaciousness of housing is weak or non-existent in Taiwan’s metropolitan areas. Taiwan should therefore be highly suited to rail transportation investments. In 2007, a new high-speed railroad was inaugurated, connecting seven metropolitan areas. Hedonic estimates show that high-speed rail accessibility has a substantial impact on house prices in at least four of the regions. Interregional downtown-to-downtown commuting time seems to be the most important determinant of success in generating a station-centered price-distance gradient. Neighborhoods around HSR stations in suburban locations are not likely to spawn residential communities for commuters, since most Taiwanese prefer downtown residential locations.