The report published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS One explores "how HSR accessibility has influenced urban expansion through multiple pathways, including real estate investment, employment density, and industrial restructuring. The results reveal a fundamental paradigm shift: rather than simply stimulating sprawl, high HSR network centrality acts as a “structural brake valve” that significantly inhibits extensive and disorderly outward expansion, driving cities toward compact development."

"Models confirm that as the HSR network matures, frequent services combined with capital investment reverse... sprawl, guiding development toward high-densityTransit-Oriented Development (TOD)."

"China has entered a new era of large-scale high-speed railway(HSR) development. No longer merely a symbol of progress, HSR has become an indispensable element of daily inter-city travel for millions of residents."

"HSR exerts a profound impact on land use efficiency and, in particular, on urban expansion."