Expressways in China: Impacts on Growth and the Environment

China’s national expressway system, a blanket policy not optimized for individual counties, affected GDP and pollution levels differently across counties. Rich counties saw decreased growth and pollution while poor counties saw increased GDP and pollution. Yet some middle-income counties experienced increased GDP with decreased pollution levels. Poorer regions prioritized development at the cost of pollution, growing income levels quickly. Meanwhile, richer regions prioritized environmental quality, affording slower economic growth.