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Hong Kong's Mass Transit Railway (MTR) system has been widely acclaimed for its unique 'rail-plus-property' (R+P) model of operation. However, MTR projects, like other transit-oriented development (TOD) projects, have been under scrutiny as a catalyst for land-price appreciation and gentrification. In this study, we aim to examine the impact of new MTR lines on the spatial distribution of public and private housing estates across Hong Kong since the 1980s. Drawing on housing, transport and census data, we reveal that local improvement in accessibility due to the expansion of the MTR network has attracted private residential developments. This implies that low-income households might have been gradually squeezed out of such prime locations. Based on our findings, we propose recommendations on urban development under the TOD model, with a view to making Hong Kong and other transit cities more socially and spatially just. Keywords: accessibility, Hong Kong, private development, public housing, residential location, spatial justice, transit-oriented development, urban rail, Introduction It has been argued that investment in transport infrastructure has a multitude of neighbourhood impacts (Geurs et al., 2009; Won et al., 2015). Among these, the ability of transport [...]

We live in an increasingly urbanised world, with the world urban population expected to double by 2050. Cities across the world have been subject to dramatic socio-economic and environmental changes. [...]

Most Asian cities are 'incomplete democracies' (Barnes, 1998); the governments of the more developed Asian cities are dubbed as those of 'developmental' or even 'entrepreneurial' states (Weiss, 2000; Yu, 2003). [...]