RETAIL CITY: Does accessibility to shops explain place attractiveness?

This paper explores the role of retail as an amenity and how it contributes to place attractiveness. In this investigation the impact of accessibility to shops on average house prices is investigated using a fixed effect estimation. The analysis use data for Swedish municipalities through the years 2002-2008. The empirical design is constructed using the across-cities spatial equilibrium framework of Roback (1982), and house prices are assumed to reflect the attractiveness of municipalities. In order to capture the precise impact from retail access, mean wages, population density, unemployment, leisure service concentration, and municipal tax levels are controlled for. Results indicate a strong relationship between retail access and place attractiveness, where a retail-premium on house prices is found to be present for Swedish municipalities.