Weak enforcement of environmental regulations remains a global issue due to inadequate monitoring and misaligned incentives. This paper examines the effects automated on achieving air pollution control targets amidst China’s war pollution. Utilizing staggered rollout process remote-sensing data, we find local governments respond advanced system by strategically targeting areas near monitors, resulting in 3.2 percent decrease adjacent monitors compared farther away. Furthermore, observe...

Empirical research in operations management (OM) has made rapid strides the last 30 years, and increasingly, OM researchers are leveraging methods used econometrics statistics literature to assess causal effects of interventions. We discuss two key challenges assessing causality with observational data (i.e., baseline bias, differential treatment effect bias) how dominant identification approaches such as matching, instrumental variables, regression discontinuity, difference‐in‐differences,...

This article investigates how transportation networks shape firms’ geographic footprint by reducing monitoring costs of distant investments. Exploiting the staggered expansions China’s passenger high-speed rail (HSR) network, we document that amount intercity investment between a pair cities increases 45% with introduction an HSR line connecting cities. We enhance causal inference applying high-dimensional fixed effects, and focusing on city pairs are “accidentally” connected in network. The...

Construction on low elevation coastal zones is risky for both residents and taxpayers who bail them out. To investigate this construction, we analyze spatially disaggregated data covering the entire US Atlantic Gulf coasts. We find that 1990 housing stock reflects historical avoidance of locations prone to sea level rise (SLR) flooding, but net new construction from 1990–2010 was similar in SLR-prone safer ones; within densely built areas, higher locations. These findings are difficult...

This paper investigates how transportation networks shape firms' geographic footprint byreducing information asymmetry associated with distant investments. Exploiting the staggeredexpansions of China's passenger high-speed rail (HSR) network, we document that amountof intercity investment between a pair cities increases by 45% introduction anHSR line connecting them. We enhance causal inference applying high-dimensionalfixed effects, and focusing on non-nodal city pairs are "accidentally"...

This article examines the determinants and economic efficiency of state-led urbanization, increasingly mantra developing countries, focusing on China's skyscraper development as a prominent example. Employing political economy lens, we find that local governments subsidized through discounted land prices to encourage new urban agglomerations, particularly in cities where leaders are motivated by stronger career incentives during central government's monetary easing policy period. But 5 10...

The social costs of pollution and climate change hinge critically on humans' ability to adapt. Based transaction records from the world's largest payment network, this research compiles daily travel flows documents that China's rapid expansion high-speed railways (HSR) facilitates use intercity as an effective adaptation strategy. Access HSR reduces travelers' exposure extreme air temperature by 7% 10%, leading substantial health benefits. These reductions are attributed both contemporaneous...

Carbon emission reduction in the transportation sector is essential global mitigation effort and a large-scale public transport system has potential to be an effective instrument. High speed rail (HSR) one such example, yet it unclear how much road traffic results from new routes. Using difference-in-differences (DID) method, we show that HSR routes China leads 20.5 log-point number of passenger vehicles 15.7 freight running on parallel highways. These reductions were not seen ordinary...

The social costs of pollution and climate change hinge critically on humans’ ability to adapt. Based transaction records from the world’s largest payment network, this research compiles daily travel flows documents that China's rapid expansion high-speed railways (HSR) facilitates use intercity as an effective adaptation strategy. Access HSR reduces travelers' exposure extreme air temperature by 7% 10%, leading substantial health benefits. These reductions are attributed both contemporaneous...

Abstract The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.

Gig platforms seek to create income opportunities, particularly for socially and economically marginalized people who find it challenging engage in regular employment. Alongside this empowerment, safety concerns over unregulated drivers Transportation Network Companies (TNC) such as Uber Lyft have led discourse among policymakers on the necessity of background check laws (BCLs) with different stringency exclude individuals from TNC jobs. Drawing theories labeling, routine activity, rational...