Skip to main content
Log in

Can Space Syntax Help Us in Understanding the Intraurban Office Rent Pattern? Accessibility and Rents in Downtown Stockholm

  • Published:
The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

An Erratum to this article was published on 25 July 2008

Abstract

The effect of accessibility upon rent is investigated for office properties located in Downtown Stockholm. Starting from the firm’s cost minimization problem, a translog hedonic model is derived. The results suggest the model has good predictive power in explaining the variation in the log of the rent. A negative rent gradient is obtained with a base approximately 90 m from the postulated focal point. It appears as if Space Syntax adds important information to the understanding of the intraurban office rent pattern.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. The rent elasticity with respect to size is: \( \frac{{\partial \ln {\text{Rent}}}} {{\partial \ln {\text{Size}}}} = \alpha _{1} + \alpha _{{11}} \ln {\text{Size}} + \frac{1} {2}\alpha _{{12}} \ln {\text{Dist}} + \frac{1} {2}\alpha _{{13}} \ln {\text{Integration}} \). Inserting the coefficient estimates and the mean of ln Size, ln Dist, and ln Integration yields: \(0.882 - 0.005 \times 5.496 + 0.5 \times 0.061 \times 6.548 - 0.5 \times 0.287 \times 0.251 = 1.018\) The standard error for this linear combination of the least squares estimates is computed as the square root of \({\text{Var}}{\left[ {\widehat{\alpha }_{1} + \widehat{\alpha }_{{11}} \overline{{\ln {\text{Size}}}} + \frac{1}{2}\widehat{\alpha }_{{12}} \overline{{\ln {\text{Dist}}}} + \frac{1}{2}\widehat{\alpha }_{{13}} \overline{{\ln {\text{Integration}}}} } \right]} = 0.0158\)

References

  • Alonso, W. (1964). Location and land use. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ballintyne, S., Pease, K., & McLaren, V. (2000). Secure foundations: Key issues in crime prevention, crime reduction and community. London: Institute for Public Policy Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • Batty, M., & Rana, S. (2004). The automatic definition of axial lines and axial maps. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 31(4), 615–640.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, M. G. (1999). Design and value: Spatial form and the economic failure of a mall. Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, 17(2), 189–226.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, J., & Rosen, H. (1982). On the estimation of structural hedonic price models. Econometrica, 50(3), 765–769.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cassel, E., & Mendelsohn, R. (1985). The choice of functional form for hedonic price equations: Comment. Journal of Urban Economics, 18(2), 135–142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Choi, Y. (1999). The morphology of exploration and encounter in museum layouts. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 26(2), 241–250.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Colwell, P. F. (1993). Comment: Semiparametric estimate of the marginal price of floorspace. Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, 7(1), 73–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cutting, M. (2003). The use of spatial analysis to study prehistoric settlement architecture. Oxford Journal of Archaeology, 22(1), 1–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Desyllas, J. (1999). When downtown moves. Proceedings, Space Syntax Second International Symposium.

  • Diewert, E. (2003). Hedonic regressions: A consumer theory approach. In R. C. Feenstra, & M. D. Shapiro (Ed.), Scanner data and price indexes. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ekeland, I., Heckman, J., & Nesheim, L. (2002). Identifying Hedonic Models. American Economic Review, 92(2), 304–309.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ekeland, I., Heckman, J., & Nesheim, L. (2004). Identification and estimation of hedonic models. Journal Political Economy, 112(1), 60–119.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferguson, T. J. (1996). Historic zuni architecture and society: An archaeological application of space syntax. Tucson, AZ: University of Arizona Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gunnelin, Å., & Söderberg, B. (2003). Term structures in the office rental market in Stockholm. Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, 26(2), 241–265.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Halvorsen, R., & Pollakowski, H. O. (1979). Choice of functional form for hedonic price equations. Journal of Urban Economics, 10(10), 37–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hillier, B. (1988). Against enclosure. In N. Teymur, T. Markus, & T. Wooley (Ed.), Rehumanising housing. London: Butterworths.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hillier, B. (1996). Space is the machine. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hillier, B., & Hanson, J. (1984). The social logic of space. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hillier, B., & Penn, A. (2004). Rejoinder to Carlo Ratti. Environment and Planning B: Planning and design, 31(4), 501–511.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hillier, B., & Shu, S. (2000). Crime and urban layout: The need for evidence. In S. Ballintyne, K. Pease, & V. McLaren (Eds.), Secure foundations: Key issues in crime prevention, crime reduction and community safety. London: Institute for Public Policy Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hillier, B., Burdett, R., Peponis, J., & Penn, A. (1987). Creating life: or, Does architecture determine anything? Architecture and Behaviour, 3(3), 233–250.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hillier, B., Hanson, J., Peponis, J., Hudson, J., & Burdett, R. (1983). Space syntax: A new urban perspective. Architects Journal, 178(48), 48–63.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hillier, B., Penn, A., Hanson, J., Grajewski, T., & Xu, J. (1993). Natural movement: or, Configuration and attraction in urban pedestrian movement. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 20(1), 29–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huff, D. L. (1963) A probabilistic analysis of shopping center trade areas. Land Economics, 39(1), 81–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Janssen, C., & Söderberg, B. (2001). Estimating distance gradients for apartment properties. Urban Studies, 38(1), 61–79.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang, B., & Claramunt, C. (2002). Integration of space syntax into GIS: New perspectives for urban morphology. Transactions in GIS, 6(3), 295–309.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang, B., Claramunt, C., & Batty, M. (1999). Geometric accessibility and geographic information: Extending desktop GIS to space syntax. Computers, Environment and Urban Systems, 23(2), 127–146.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang, B., Claramunt, C., & Klarqvist, B. (2000). An integration of space syntax into GIS for modelling urban spaces. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, 2(3), 161–171.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, H., & Sohn, D. W. (2002). An analysis of the relationship between land use density of office buildings and urban street configuration. Cities, 19(6), 409–418.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krüger, M. J. T. (1979). An approach to built form connectivity at an urban scale: System descriptions and its representation. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 6(1), 67–88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lancaster, K. J. (1966). A new approach to consumer theory. Journal of Political Economy, 74(2), 132–157.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lancaster, K. J. (1971). Consumer demand: A new approach. New York: Columbia University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • March, L., & Steadman, P. (1971). The geometry of environment: An introduction to spatial organizations in design. London: RIBA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mason, C., Quigley, J. M. (1996). Non-parametric hedonic housing prices. Urban Studies, 11(3), 373–385.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mills, E. S. (1967). An aggregative model of resource allocation in a metropolitan area. American Economic Review, 57(2), 197–210.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mills, E. S. (1972). Studies in the structure of the urban economy. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Muth, R. F. (1969). Cities and Housing. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Netzell, O. (2003). The influence of integration values on office rents. MSc Thesis, Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden.

  • Peponis, J. E., Hajinikolaou, E., Livieratos, C., & Fatouros, D. A. (1989). The Spatial Core of Urban Culture. Ekistics, 56(334),43–55.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ratti, C. (2004a). Space syntax: Some inconsistencies. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 31(4), 487–499.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ratti, C. (2004b). Rejoinder to Hillier and Penn. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 31(4), 513–516.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reilly, W. J. (1931). The law of retail gravitation. New York: William J Reilly.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosen, S. (1974). Hedonic prices and implicit markets: Product differentiation in pure competition. Journal of Political Economy, 82(1), 34–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Teklenburg, J. A. F., Timmermans, H. J. P., & van Wagenberg, D. (1993). Space syntax: Standardised integration measures and some simulations. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 20(3), 347–357.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tinbergen, J. (1956). On the theory of income distribution. Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv, 77(2), 155–173.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turner, A., Penn, A., & Hillier, B. (2005). An algorithmic definition of the axial map. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 32(3), 425–444.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vaughan, L., Clark, D. C., Sahbaz, O., & Haklay, M. (2005). Space and exclusion: Does urban morphology play a part in social deprivation? Area, 37(4), 402–412.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • von Thünen, J. (1826). Der isolierte Staat in Beziehung auf Landwirtschaft und Nationalokonomie. F. Perthes. English Translation (1966) The isolated state. New York: Pergamon Press.

Download references

Acknowledgments

The author is grateful to Adam Finn, Robin Lindsey, Alice Nakamura, Bo Söderberg, seminar participants at the 2004 CORS/INFORMS Joint International Meeting, seminar participants at the University of Alberta and three anonymous JREFE reviewers for helpful comments and suggestions on the manuscript. Any errors are the responsibility of the author. Opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author and do not reflect the views of any other individual or institution.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rickard Enström.

Additional information

An erratum to this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11146-008-9136-0

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Enström, R., Netzell, O. Can Space Syntax Help Us in Understanding the Intraurban Office Rent Pattern? Accessibility and Rents in Downtown Stockholm. J Real Estate Finan Econ 36, 289–305 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11146-007-9054-6

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11146-007-9054-6

Keywords

Navigation