Stuart Donovan
Motu Economic and Public Policy Research
Stuart has two decades of experience working in Australia and New Zealand in spatial, urban, and transport economics; multi-modal transport planning; and land use policy. Stuart has also co-authored publications on wind farm optimisation, the distributional effects of transport projects, the economic costs of electric vehicles, the contribution of public transport to economic productivity, a systematic review of agglomeration economies, and estimates of agglomeration economies in New Zealand. Stuart is currently progressing research into the effects of commuting costs on urban location choice and the effects of crime on urban economic outcomes, drawing on his PhD dissertation.
Looking at the role of transport through a spatial and urban economic lens
Approximately 85% of New Zealand’s population now live in cities and this share is projected to increase in the future. In this talk, I will consider the potential contribution of transport to the economic and social prosperity of New Zealand’s cities, drawing on insights from spatial and urban economic research. The talk will consider evidence on how transport affects both the shape and size of cities, including effects on urban development and especially housing. Then, we will zoom in and consider how different people and firms sort between locations within cities. To finish, Stuart will consider possible implications for transport governance, funding/financing, and policy.