What happens to neighborhoods after urban greening takes root? In the United States, over 26,000 miles of abandoned rail lines have been converted into trails, with another 9,000 miles underway. I use the geography of abandoned railroads to study how decades of rail trail openings have changed neighborhoods. In Greater Boston, where I observe trail opening dates, housing values rise by 7% within a decade of opening, alongside a 1.8 percentage point increase in the college-educated share and little change in other socioeconomic measures. By the second decade, housing values rise by 19%, the college-educated share by 7.7 points, and household incomes by 14%, suggesting that early compositional shifts amplify over time. Across all metropolitan areas, where I observe rail trails but not date of opening, I conduct a long-differences analysis. I instrument for trail creation using inefficiently connected historical rail segments, identified by edge betweenness centrality. Estimates show that between 1970 and 2020, tracts with rail trails experienced 18% higher housing value growth and similar patterns of sorting, along with a 24% increase in housing supply.
Our Mission
The Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies strives to improve equitable access to decent, affordable homes in thriving communities. We conduct rigorous research to advance policy and practice, and we bring together diverse stakeholders to spark new ideas for addressing housing challenges. Through teaching and fellowships, we mentor and inspire the next generation of housing leaders.
