Research Reports

Pennsylvania has recently emerged as a center of warehousing development on the East Coast. New distribution facilities can provide economic benefits, but also present challenges for surrounding communities. Using Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis of publicly available data, stakeholder outreach, and media analysis, this project evaluates the impacts of warehouse growth in the state and uses six case study counties to explore employment trends, traffic impacts, and other community changes, such as land use and population, over the last 10 years. Results demonstrate growth in the number of warehouses and warehousing jobs, growth in collisions involving smaller commercial vehicles, and specific community concerns in rural areas. In addition, average labor income and the share of total value added by direct employment in general warehousing jobs are both higher in rural counties than in urban counties. These results will help inform land-use, transportation, and economic development policies at the local and state levels.