Using newly-constructed spatially-disaggregated data for London from 1801-1921, we show that the invention of the steam … find that removing the entire railway network reduces the population and the value of land and buildings in London by up to … 51.5 and 53.3 percent respectively, and decreases net commuting into the historical center of London by more than 300 …

This study provides new evidence on the impact of air pollution in a high-pollution high-mortality setting: London over … London's famous fog events, which trapped emissions in the city. My results show that acute pollution exposure due to fog … events accounted for at least one out of every 200 deaths in London during this century. I also provide the first well …

approach to data from British cities for 1851-1911. I show that local industrial coal use substantially reduced long-run city … employment growth over this period. Moreover, a counterfactual analysis suggests that plausible improvements in coal use …

this relationship in 1900. Growing industrial coal use from 1851-1900 reduced life expectancy by at least 0.57 years. A …

modern Environmental Kuznets Curve: in the decades leading up to 1890, the number of foggy days in London rose steadily, but … after 1891, the fogs began to subside. Brodie attributed the rise and fall of the London fog to variation in emissions of … coal smoke, arguing that before 1890 Londoners burned excessive amounts of soft coal, while in the years following, a …

The historical fertility transition is one of the most important events in economic history. This study provides new …