Guicai Li,
Xiaofan Luan,
Jiawen Yang
Xiongbin Lin
 School of Urban Planning and Design, Peking University, Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China
 
 
 Highlights

•Fiscal institutions shape the pace and design of transit projects.
•Recent reform connects transit investment and transit-oriented development.
•Innovation needs to circumvent organizational and legal constraints.
•Incremental growth around rail nodes produce transport and energy benefit.


Keywords
Inter-city railway; Transit-oriented development; Value capture; Spatial planning; Pearl River Delta; China


Abstract
Existing research rarely systematically reviews how China has funded or will fund expanding transit systems. We argue that fiscal regulations have shaped how China’s municipal governments plan for and invest in passenger rail services and land development around stations, and that policy reforms are necessary to bring successful transit-oriented development and transit operation for China’s next round of urbanization. Using Pearl River Delta (PRD) as the study case, we review the planning and funding processes for an inter-city passenger rail services, and reveal how a new funding and planning framework has been developed out of pre-existing organizational and legal constraints. The central piece of this innovation is a value capture framework beyond municipal boundaries, which tighten the connection between transit funding and transit-oriented development. The PRD experience has implications for other megaregions in China.



Article Outline
1. Introduction
2. Study case: Passenger rail investment in Pearl River Delta
2.1. Urbanization and passenger rail planning
2.2. MOR involvement and capital funding shortage
2.3. Operational deficit and station location selection
2.4. Value capture beyond municipal boundaries

3. Implications for PRD and China’s continuous urbanization
3.1. Zoning and planning around stations
3.2. Implications for the nation

4. Conclusions
Acknowledgement
References



Figures
   

Fig. 1.

Planned inter-city railway network in PRD.


Fig. 2.

Administrative framework for funding inter-city rail with TOD.


Fig. 3.

Zoning adjustment at Yinzhan Station.


Fig. 4.

Plan adjustment at Yinzhan Station.


Tables

Table 1. Length and investment amount of each intercity rail line.