Mass transit infrastructure can have a wide range of development benefits—many of which are not captured in traditional cost-benefit analysis. Beyond shorter commuting times and improved traffic, these investments can alter the economic landscape of a metropolis as firms and families relocate. And with proper land-use planning and development policies, these benefits can be amplified. Using the estimated benefits of the planned North–South Railway project in the Philippines, a panel of experts will explore how policy reforms tied to large-scale infrastructure projects can promote regional economic development.

Webinar attendees will have the chance to engage with the speakers and:

• Gain an understanding of wider economic impacts of mass transit infrastructure and the new methodology to quantify them.
• Share insights on policies of the Philippine government associated with the North–South Railway project in promoting regional economic development.
• Discuss potential non-financial support institutions like the Asian Development Bank can provide to maximize the impacts of large infrastructure investments.

Speakers

• Yi Jiang, Principal Economist, Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department, ADB
• Julia Bird, Senior Economist, Vivid Economics
• Maria Rowena Cham, Senior Economics Officer, Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department, ADB
• Arturo Corpuz, Urban-Regional Planner, National Economic and Development Authority, Philippines
• James Leather, Chief of Transport Sector Group, Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department, ADB
• Roderick Planta, Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure Development, National Economic and Development Authority, Philippines