Colonial origins of agglomeration: Evidence from Malayan rail stations
This study examines how historical rail stations condition long-run development using Colonial Malaya as a laboratory. By constructing novel historical data on rail stations, agglomeration centres, tin mines, and rubber plantations dating back a century and matching contemporary data on economic act...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Published: |
2025
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/97453 |
| _version_ | 1848766270866980864 |
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| author | Liew, Y.W. Rahman, Habib Siah, A.K.L. |
| author_facet | Liew, Y.W. Rahman, Habib Siah, A.K.L. |
| author_sort | Liew, Y.W. |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | This study examines how historical rail stations condition long-run development using Colonial Malaya as a laboratory. By constructing novel historical data on rail stations, agglomeration centres, tin mines, and rubber plantations dating back a century and matching contemporary data on economic activity at the 1-km cell level, we find that regions with earlier access to rail stations exhibit higher levels of economic activity today, owing to agglomeration economies. These results persist even in regions that have abandoned colonial stations. This study highlights the role of investment in transport infrastructure in accelerating local economic activity. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:48:29Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-97453 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:48:29Z |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-974532025-04-16T02:37:35Z Colonial origins of agglomeration: Evidence from Malayan rail stations Liew, Y.W. Rahman, Habib Siah, A.K.L. This study examines how historical rail stations condition long-run development using Colonial Malaya as a laboratory. By constructing novel historical data on rail stations, agglomeration centres, tin mines, and rubber plantations dating back a century and matching contemporary data on economic activity at the 1-km cell level, we find that regions with earlier access to rail stations exhibit higher levels of economic activity today, owing to agglomeration economies. These results persist even in regions that have abandoned colonial stations. This study highlights the role of investment in transport infrastructure in accelerating local economic activity. 2025 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/97453 10.1111/ehr.70012 unknown |
| spellingShingle | Liew, Y.W. Rahman, Habib Siah, A.K.L. Colonial origins of agglomeration: Evidence from Malayan rail stations |
| title | Colonial origins of agglomeration: Evidence from Malayan rail stations |
| title_full | Colonial origins of agglomeration: Evidence from Malayan rail stations |
| title_fullStr | Colonial origins of agglomeration: Evidence from Malayan rail stations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Colonial origins of agglomeration: Evidence from Malayan rail stations |
| title_short | Colonial origins of agglomeration: Evidence from Malayan rail stations |
| title_sort | colonial origins of agglomeration: evidence from malayan rail stations |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/97453 |