Low Emission Zones for Better Health : Evidence from German Hospitals
This paper studies health effects from restricting the access of high-emission vehicles to inner cities
by implementing Low Emission Zones. For identification, we exploit variation in the timing and the
spatial distribution of the introduction of new Low Emission Zones across cities in Germany. We
use detailed hospitalization data combined with geo-coded information on the coverage of Low
Emission Zones. We find that Low Emission Zones significantly reduce levels of air pollution in
urban areas and that these improvements in air quality translate into population health benefits.
The number of diagnoses related to air pollution is significantly reduced for hospitals located
within or in close proximity to a Low Emission Zone after it becomes effective. The results are
mainly driven by reductions in chronic cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.