Co-Production of Knowledge at Sumida Farm Trains a New Generation of Community-Engaged ScientistsMay 13, 2024A collaboration between the University of Hawai‘i (UH), Hawai‘i Sea Grant, and the fourth generation of Sumida farmers focuses on training a new generation of community-engaged scientists. A key partner is UHERO, an interdisciplinary research group that informs public policy across Hawai‘i. The overarching goal is to build a healthy, resilient, and sustainable agricultural community… Read More
Threshold regressions for more objective urban and regional policiesApril 4, 2024Abstract: Achieving policy goals often requires different policies for different places, but the assignment of places to policies is often arbitrary, political, or based on anecdotal evidence. We argue that there are simple analytical techniques to improve policy by allocating places into corresponding ‘policy regimes’ in a more objective manner. We show how to implement… Read More
Male-biased sex ratios, marriage, and household composition in early twentieth-century Hawai‘iJanuary 31, 2024Abstract: Immigration to Hawai‘i between 1870 and 1930 led to a more than six-fold increase in population and high and rapidly varying sex ratios in the Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, and Caucasian populations of marriageable age. Using complete populations of the 1910, 1920, and 1930 Territorial Censuses of Hawai‘i, we estimate how male-biased ethnic sex… Read More
The effect of front-end vehicle height on pedestrian death riskJanuary 29, 2024Abstract: Pedestrian deaths in the US have risen in recent years. Concurrently, US vehicles have increased in size, which may pose a safety risk for pedestrians. In particular, the increased height of vehicle front-ends may present a danger for pedestrians in a crash, as the point of vehicle contact is more likely to occur at… Read More
Combining agglomeration economies and endogenous growth without scale effectsJanuary 19, 2024Abstract: Increasing returns to scale is essential to both spatial economics and macroeconomic growth. Spatial externalities imply external local increasing returns that generate an uneven spatial distribution of economic activity. While non-rival knowledge also implies increasing returns – in order to endogenise growth – this is not a spatial micro-foundation. Spatial theories of growth must… Read More
The effect of bus rapid transit on local home pricesDecember 1, 2023Abstract: Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems have become increasingly common in US cities. BRT stations provide a local amenity by improving transportation options for local residents, but may also represent a local nuisance due to noise or displacement of other road users. We estimate whether BRT is priced into local real estate by studying a… Read More
Homeowner politics and housing supplyNovember 1, 2023Abstract: This paper examines whether homeowner opposition to nearby housing development affects local councillors’ votes on housing bills. Homeowners benefit financially from restricted housing supply through increased housing prices. City councillors, who approve housing development applications, cater to the needs of homeowners who are often long-term resident voters with a financial stake in neighbourhood amenity… Read More
The intergenerational transmission of mental and physical health in the United KingdomOctober 13, 2023Abstract: As health is increasingly recognized as a key component of human welfare, a new line of research on intergenerational mobility has emerged that focuses on broad measures of health. We extend this research to consider two key components of health: physical health and mental health. We use rich survey data from the United Kingdom linking the… Read More
Embedding local values in Payments for Ecosystem Services for transformative changeOctober 3, 2023Abstract: The potential for Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) programs to integrate nature’s diverse values into decision-making, and thereby support broader transformative change, is of increasing research interest. We analyze published reviews and case studies of PES from the IPBES Values Assessment to evaluate 1) how diverse values were (or were not) articulated through PES… Read More
The impact of recreational marijuana dispensaries on crime: evidence from a lottery experimentOctober 1, 2023Abstract: Many North American jurisdictions have legalized the operation of recreational marijuana dispensaries. A common concern is that dispensaries may contribute to local crime. Identifying the effect of dispensaries on crime is confounded by the spatial endogeneity of dispensary locations. Washington State allocated dispensary licenses through a lottery, providing a natural experiment to estimate the… Read More
Sea level rise risk interactions with coastal property values: a case study of O‘ahu, Hawai‘iSeptember 14, 2023Abstract: Climate change-induced sea level rise (SLR) will affect a range of coastal assets and prompt difficult decisions about coastal land use across the world. Several recent studies find that current and projected SLR is associated with relatively lower property values. We contribute to this growing body of research with a case study of O‘ahu,… Read More
Solving Optimal Groundwater Problems with ExcelAugust 16, 2023Abstract: Welfare maximizing management of coastal groundwater requires a sequence of pumping targets, typically terminating with a constant withdrawal rate in the long run. In contrast, managing according to sustainable yield at best identifies the constant rate of pumping in the long run. We illustrate an accessible solution method, using Excel Solver to find the… Read More
Replacing Medicaid with an Imperfect Substitute: Implications for Health InequalityAugust 16, 2023Abstract: A 2015 policy change substantially increased the administrative burden involved in accessing health insurance for Pacific Islander immigrants in Hawaii. We examine the heterogeneous health-care use effects of this policy, which revoked Medicaid eligibility for these migrants and replaced it with access to subsidized private health insurance. Using data on the universe of hospitalizations… Read More
Co-Production of Knowledge at Sumida Farm Trains a New Generation of Community-Engaged Scientists May 13, 2024 A collaboration between the University of Hawai‘i (UH), Hawai‘i Sea Grant, and the fourth generation of Sumida farmers focuses on training a new generation of community-engaged scientists. A key partner is UHERO, an interdisciplinary research group that informs public policy across Hawai‘i. The overarching goal is to build a healthy, resilient, and sustainable agricultural community… Read More
Threshold regressions for more objective urban and regional policies April 4, 2024 Abstract: Achieving policy goals often requires different policies for different places, but the assignment of places to policies is often arbitrary, political, or based on anecdotal evidence. We argue that there are simple analytical techniques to improve policy by allocating places into corresponding ‘policy regimes’ in a more objective manner. We show how to implement… Read More
Male-biased sex ratios, marriage, and household composition in early twentieth-century Hawai‘i January 31, 2024 Abstract: Immigration to Hawai‘i between 1870 and 1930 led to a more than six-fold increase in population and high and rapidly varying sex ratios in the Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, and Caucasian populations of marriageable age. Using complete populations of the 1910, 1920, and 1930 Territorial Censuses of Hawai‘i, we estimate how male-biased ethnic sex… Read More
The effect of front-end vehicle height on pedestrian death risk January 29, 2024 Abstract: Pedestrian deaths in the US have risen in recent years. Concurrently, US vehicles have increased in size, which may pose a safety risk for pedestrians. In particular, the increased height of vehicle front-ends may present a danger for pedestrians in a crash, as the point of vehicle contact is more likely to occur at… Read More
Combining agglomeration economies and endogenous growth without scale effects January 19, 2024 Abstract: Increasing returns to scale is essential to both spatial economics and macroeconomic growth. Spatial externalities imply external local increasing returns that generate an uneven spatial distribution of economic activity. While non-rival knowledge also implies increasing returns – in order to endogenise growth – this is not a spatial micro-foundation. Spatial theories of growth must… Read More
The effect of bus rapid transit on local home prices December 1, 2023 Abstract: Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems have become increasingly common in US cities. BRT stations provide a local amenity by improving transportation options for local residents, but may also represent a local nuisance due to noise or displacement of other road users. We estimate whether BRT is priced into local real estate by studying a… Read More
Effects of alternative pricing structures on electricity consumption and payments in the commercial and industrial sector November 28, 2023 Abstract: We investigate the distributional and welfare impacts when commercial and industrial (C&I) electricity end users face a dynamic pricing structure as opposed to a constant volumetric price with demand charge on individual users’ peak usage. While demand charge does not necessarily reduce the system-wide peak, it often constitutes a large share of C&I users’… Read More
Homeowner politics and housing supply November 1, 2023 Abstract: This paper examines whether homeowner opposition to nearby housing development affects local councillors’ votes on housing bills. Homeowners benefit financially from restricted housing supply through increased housing prices. City councillors, who approve housing development applications, cater to the needs of homeowners who are often long-term resident voters with a financial stake in neighbourhood amenity… Read More
The intergenerational transmission of mental and physical health in the United Kingdom October 13, 2023 Abstract: As health is increasingly recognized as a key component of human welfare, a new line of research on intergenerational mobility has emerged that focuses on broad measures of health. We extend this research to consider two key components of health: physical health and mental health. We use rich survey data from the United Kingdom linking the… Read More
Embedding local values in Payments for Ecosystem Services for transformative change October 3, 2023 Abstract: The potential for Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) programs to integrate nature’s diverse values into decision-making, and thereby support broader transformative change, is of increasing research interest. We analyze published reviews and case studies of PES from the IPBES Values Assessment to evaluate 1) how diverse values were (or were not) articulated through PES… Read More
The impact of recreational marijuana dispensaries on crime: evidence from a lottery experiment October 1, 2023 Abstract: Many North American jurisdictions have legalized the operation of recreational marijuana dispensaries. A common concern is that dispensaries may contribute to local crime. Identifying the effect of dispensaries on crime is confounded by the spatial endogeneity of dispensary locations. Washington State allocated dispensary licenses through a lottery, providing a natural experiment to estimate the… Read More
Sea level rise risk interactions with coastal property values: a case study of O‘ahu, Hawai‘i September 14, 2023 Abstract: Climate change-induced sea level rise (SLR) will affect a range of coastal assets and prompt difficult decisions about coastal land use across the world. Several recent studies find that current and projected SLR is associated with relatively lower property values. We contribute to this growing body of research with a case study of O‘ahu,… Read More
Toward more equitable ecosystem investment programs—Adaptation and equity are central to the design and functioning of successful water funds August 22, 2023 Abstract: Projects designed to incentivize ecosystem management for societal benefits are becoming increasingly popular and are often touted as win–win solutions for social and environmental challenges. Yet, there are important concerns about the equity and justice implications of these programs, and there is strong evidence that a lack of attention to justice can exacerbate or… Read More
Solving Optimal Groundwater Problems with Excel August 16, 2023 Abstract: Welfare maximizing management of coastal groundwater requires a sequence of pumping targets, typically terminating with a constant withdrawal rate in the long run. In contrast, managing according to sustainable yield at best identifies the constant rate of pumping in the long run. We illustrate an accessible solution method, using Excel Solver to find the… Read More
Replacing Medicaid with an Imperfect Substitute: Implications for Health Inequality August 16, 2023 Abstract: A 2015 policy change substantially increased the administrative burden involved in accessing health insurance for Pacific Islander immigrants in Hawaii. We examine the heterogeneous health-care use effects of this policy, which revoked Medicaid eligibility for these migrants and replaced it with access to subsidized private health insurance. Using data on the universe of hospitalizations… Read More