Association of Proximity to Transit Stations with Early-Stage Gentrification in a Railway Upgrade Context: Evidence from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Abstract

This study examines 20-year data on the relationship between proximity to transit stations and early-stage gentrification in Greater Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The early-stage gentrification from 1990 to 2010 was measured using the college graduate ratio to clarify when the relationship may occur if mass rapid transit (MRT) is developed based on pre-existing conventional railways. Empirical results profile the time of occurrence of transit-related gentrification. In a city that is developing MRT in the early stage, in which station densities are gradually increasing, transit-related gentrification may occur along MRT corridors. This process may occur before the MRT station opening if the development is by upgrading pre-existing conventional railways, but is insignificant when an MRT is developed in the late stage, in which station densities are already high or have evidently stopped increasing. The profile guides local administrations to determine an effective schedule for implementing countermeasures to gentrification along MRT corridors.