Transport investment and the promotion of economic growth (Banister, Berechman)

Question 1

Necessary conditions for economic development to occur

Answer 1

1. Economic: Positive economic externalities, a highly skilled labor force, and vibrant local economy.
2. Investment: availability of funds, investment scale, network effects, and location of investment within network
3. Political: Financing sources, investment levels, legal and organizational policies

Question 2

Challenges in analyzing the links between transport infrastructure investment and economic development

Answer 2

1. complexity in analysis
2. Multi-dimensional nature
3. Addressing complexity
4. causality challenges
5. Weakening causality
6. New Engines of economic growth

Question 3

The impact of infrastructure investments on economic development

Answer 3

1. Enhancing accessibility
2. relative nature of accessibility
3. Threshold for change
4. subtle implications of accessibility
5. complementary within networks
6. proximity and agglomeration
7. economies of scale and agglomeration
8. circulatory capacity
9. role of policy
10. democratic societies

Question 4

main points national level impact of transport infrastructure investments

Answer 4

1. crucial for international competitiveness in global markets
2. quality is as important as quantity
3. political, institutional, financial and organizational factors important
4. physical infrastructure should extend to terminals, interchanges, and nodes to avoid congestion

Question 5

main points regional level impact of transport infrastructure investments

Answer 5

1. changes in accessibility lead to redistribution of employment between regions
2. economic growth not solely determined by improved accessibility, requires a broader concepts that includes skilled labor, quality locations, supporting infra, and local networks
3. presence of open, dynamic systems with high acc. can support economic growth

Question 6

main points local level impact of transport infrastructure investments

Answer 6

1. project specific analysis is essential and should consider the projects role within a network
2. twin approach is suggested:
   - traditional cost benefit analysis
   - complementary economic development anaysis

Question 7

Complementary economic development analysis

Answer 7

This approach considers that traditional benefits make up a smaller part of the total gains from a project. Instead, it helps us measure how much a project contributes to economic development. It recognizes that evaluating the economic impact of transport infrastructure projects is a complicated task.