Publication Type
Master Thesis
Version
publishedVersion
Publication Date
7-2025
Abstract
This paper investigates how mass transit infrastructure shapes urban economic activity by examining the impact of Dhaka's first metro line using novel Google Maps data. Leveraging the opening of Metro Line 6 on December 2022, we employ a difference-in-differences framework to analyze changes in business establishment density around metro stations. Our estimates show that every 1% reduction in distance to the nearest metro station adds, on average, about 0.092–0.111 establishments per 40 m × 40 m grid cell—that is, roughly 57 – 69 additional businesses per square kilometer. The effect is even more pronounced for dining: about 1 – 4 extra restaurants per square kilometer over the same period, and exhibits a clear upward trajectory. This growth is accompanied by a substantial increase in customer reviews, with the average number of reviews per grid rising from 0.70 to 3.07. Our findings contribute to the understanding of transportation infrastructure's role in urban economic development and demonstrate both the potential and limitations of using digital platform data for urban research in developing country contexts.
Keywords
Google Maps, Transportation, Developing Country
Degree Awarded
Master of Philosophy in Econ
Discipline
Economics
Supervisor(s)
FUJII, Tomoki
First Page
1
Last Page
35
Publisher
Singapore Management University
City or Country
Singapore
Citation
DU, Xinyi.
Analyzing Google Maps as a data source for urban research in Dhaka. (2025). 1-35.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/etd_coll/791
Copyright Owner and License
Author
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.