Mobility as a success factor: good connections to public ?transport increase property value

In times of climate change, the mobility revolution and the housing revolution must be seen in context. An optimal connection to local public transport is a decisive success factor for the value development of real estate.

The federal and state governments have introduced the 49-Euro-Ticket to make public transport affordable. In the long term, public transport should become even more attractive. In the long term, it can be assumed that more commuters will decide to switch from the car to public transport. Good accessibility influences where people want to live in the future. Already today, more and more families are moving from the big cities to the surrounding areas or even to rural regions. A prerequisite for this is good public transport connections.

A bus or train stop with at least 20 departures per day is within walking distance for 90 percent of the population in Germany. However, the proportions vary from region to region. This is shown in an analysis by the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development. The study examined the proportion of the population that can reach a bus stop within 600 metres or a railway station within 1,200 metres. In the city states of Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen, almost 100 per cent of the population live near such a bus stop or railway station. Densely populated districts are generally better served than sparsely populated ones. Nationwide standards and quality criteria for services and accessibility could make public transport even more attractive and strengthen it as an alternative to the car.

Optimal public transport also has an impact on the housing situation in places away from the big cities. If more city dwellers choose to live in the surrounding areas, this will lead to a relief of the metropolises from the tight housing shortage and to a positive development of property values outside the big cities. Changes in office use, for example through home offices, are moving in the same direction.

Conclusion: The areas of living, working and mobility are currently undergoing a strong change. The result is a shift in property values in favour of residential locations outside the major cities.

(Photo: © Elchinator, Pixabay)