COVID-19 as a spatial shock: Uneven land market dynamics in metropolitan areas
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2026 |
| Type | Peer-reviewed scientific article |
| Magazine / Source | Cities |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| web | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264275126006220 |
| Doi | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2026.107390 |
| Keywords | Land market; Metropolitan areas; COVID-19; Demand shock; BVAR |
| Attached files | |
| Description | The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped the spatial dynamics of metropolitan land markets in the Czech Republic. Using a large dataset of land transactions and a Bayesian Vector Autoregression with exogenous variables (BVARX), we show that the pandemic reinforced suburbanization patterns, primarily driven by demand shocks, while broader macroeconomic factors played only a complementary role. These effects were not uniform across cities. Large metropolitan areas experienced strong and persistent suburbanization pressures, whereas mid-sized cities exhibited more muted responses, reflecting differences in regional integration and economic centrality. These shifts persisted beyond the pandemic period, indicating a lasting transformation in spatial land market dynamics. Overall, our findings highlight that city-specific structural characteristics critically shape the transmission of demand shocks and underscore the need for coordinated metropolitan planning to address pressures on land use, housing affordability, and infrastructure capacity. |
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