Urban renewal after the Berlin Wall: a place-based policy evaluation

We use a quasi-experimental research design to study the effects of a spatially targeted renewal policy implemented in Berlin, Germany, in the aftermath of the city’s division during the Cold War period. Our results suggest that over the course of 20 years, the policy helped to reduce (increase) the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of economic geography 2017-01, Vol.17 (1), p.129-156
Main Authors: Ahlfeldt, Gabriel M., Maennig, Wolfgang, Richter, Felix J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cold War
Externality
Housing prices
Property values
Studies
Urban renewal
Welfare economics
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Summary:We use a quasi-experimental research design to study the effects of a spatially targeted renewal policy implemented in Berlin, Germany, in the aftermath of the city’s division during the Cold War period. Our results suggest that over the course of 20 years, the policy helped to reduce (increase) the propensity of buildings being in poor (good) condition within the targeted areas by, on average, 1.2–3% (0.6–2.5%) per year. The estimated effects on property prices range from 0.1% to 2% per year. In each case, the lower-bound estimate is not statistically significant. We find little evidence of positive housing externalities or positive welfare effects.
ISSN:1468-2702
1468-2710
DOI:10.1093/jeg/lbw003