Good news: putting in bike lanes doesn't actually make the rent go up or push people out of the neighborhood.
April 3, 2026
Original Paper
Share the Road: Bicycle Infrastructure, Equity, and Gentrification in Boston
SSRN · 6511612
The Takeaway
Many urban activists fear 'green gentrification,' assuming that new parks and bike paths make areas unaffordable for locals. Over a decade of data from Boston shows that bike infrastructure expanded into poor areas without causing any spike in property values.
From the abstract
Recent urban regeneration projects seek to address equity and environmental sustainability while avoiding potential negative consequences like gentrification. Mobility improvements are a promising way to advance these goals because they can increase transport accessibility and reduce private motor vehicle dependency. However, previous work finds that mobility programs like bicycle infrastructure installation often prioritize advantaged neighborhoods or may drive up house prices. But most researc