Policy makers in both developed and developing countries want to accelerate spatial development, make cities more competitive, attract new entrepreneurs, boost economic growth, and promote job creation. These are commendable goals given that city populations in developing countries are expected...

This Economic Premise examines the link between highways and spatial development. The Golden Quadrilateral (GQ) highway project in India—5,846 km of highways linking four major urban hubs—improved the connectivity and market accessibility of districts close to the highway compared to those...

While South Asia’s average gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the past decade was only slightly lower than in East Asia and the Pacific, the region significantly lags behind in terms of infrastructure access. In some cases, South Asia’s access levels are more similar to sub-Saharan...