Spatial Structure Behind The Ripple Effect: The Case Of Hong Kong

Abstract

This paper aims to study the spatial structure of Hong Kong residential market using census data with the urban model, and examine more critically the ripple effect found by Lam (2015). Empirically, those irregularities observed can be explained rather satisfactorily following the lines of reasoning by Brueckner (2011). As for the aforesaid ripples, we demonstrate that the drift pattern no longer exists after introducing a structural breakpoint in End-2008. Instead, we contend that irrespective of house sizes, all price changes tend to originate from the New Territories. And we propose two theoretical explanations for it: internal migration and spatial coefficient heterogeneity.