Anisha Garg
Anisha Garg
I am a fourth year PhD student.
I am an applied microeconomist working primarily at the intersection of urban and development economics. I study how public goods shape social and economic outcomes in cities by constructing new spatial and administrative datasets.
I am on the 2026-27 job market.
My supervisors are Sharun Mukand, Debraj Ray, Andreas Stegmann and Robert AkerlofLink opens in a new window.
Quick Links: JMPLink opens in a new window | CVLink opens in a new window | Personal WebpageLink opens in a new window
Contact Details
S2.110
Related Links
@anishagarg5Link opens in a new window
Anisha GargLink opens in a new window
Monash Warwick Alliance AssociateLink opens in a new window
Applied Young Economist WebinarLink opens in a new window
- @ayew2021Link opens in a new window
- Sign upLink opens in a new window for our mailing list.
Job Market Paper
Eyes on the Street: Mass Transit and Women's Safety in Public SpacesLink opens in a new window
- Best Paper Award, Development/Applied Economics, Winter School 2024 (Delhi School of Economics)
Abstract: Urban transit transforms public spaces around stations, but whether it makes them safer remains largely unknown. This matters especially for women because safety concerns shape their mobility and economic choices. I study how expansion of Delhi Metro affects women’s safety by constructing a new high-frequency panel from the universe of police reports and using staggered difference-in-differences. A jurisdiction’s first station reduces reported harassment by 32% relative to the pre-opening mean. Geocoded reports show that the decline is concentrated within one kilometre, with no significant change in nearby areas. The decline occurs during evening hours and in low-activity neighbourhoods, while independent audits document improvements in lighting, visibility, perceived safety, and gender balance. These patterns are consistent with additional “eyes on the street” making public spaces safer. Back-of-the-envelope calculations imply a capitalised safety benefit equal to 2–8% of corresponding Metro construction costs and a potential 2.1–4.9 percentage-point increase in women’s workforce participation.
Working Papers
Civic Infrastructure and Political Mobilization: Evidence from Urban IndiaLink opens in a new window (with Yatish AryaLink opens in a new window)
Shared Religious Identity, Ruler Displacement, and Literacy in Colonial IndiaLink opens in a new window (with Yatish AryaLink opens in a new window and Amit ChaudharyLink opens in a new window)
Work in Progress
National Security, Minorities, and the Strategic Allocation of Preventive Enforcement: Evidence from India (with Yatish AryaLink opens in a new window)
The Impact of Management Training on Scientists: Evidence from the Life Sciences (with Robert AkerlofLink opens in a new window and Andreas StegmannLink opens in a new window)
Research Affiliations
- Applied MicroeconomicsLink opens in a new window
- Political Economy and Public EconomicsLink opens in a new window
- Development and Economic HistoryLink opens in a new window