Empirical Analysis on the Railroad Development Impact on Local Population Density in Japan

We investigated the relationship between railroad station and areal population density in Japan. A cross-sectional analysis and a series of longitudinal analysis on the station development and changes in population density are conducted. The overall trend of higher density near the station is observed with a relatively high level of variance. Also, it is pointed out that railroad service is necessary for dense inhabitation while it is not sufficient. Further, the longitudinal analysis confirmed that the station development induced the population density growth within 2 to 3 km from the station. A detailed analysis proposed that while the difference of density growth relative to the regional difference or proximity to the station is not observed, the collaborative development of railroad and housing would have a largest potential in improving population density.