Extensive evidence exists on the benefits provided by urban green space (UGS) but evidence is lacking about whether and how socio-economic benefits accrue to all residents or disproportionally depending on their socio-economic status or residential location.
We model joint effects of socio-economic and locational attributes on attitudes and use of UGS in Brussels (Belgium). The analysis is based on a survey conducted along an urban–suburban continuum with respondents sampled across non-park public space. Patterns of use are depicted by the frequency and the distance travelled to the most used UGS. Attitudes are analyzed along three dimensions: willingness to (i) pay for UGS, (ii) trade off housing for green space and (iii) substitute private for public green.
Our results stress the importance of separating effects of attitudes from socio-economic and locational effects to quantify UGS use, and suggest endogenous effects of green space with residential sorting.
The same survey has now been conducted in three European cities (Luxembourg, Brussels, Rouen) and used to analyse how socio-economic characteristics and the residential environment of residents, and attractiveness of UGS explain how far residents travel to use UGS.
This research is part of the University of Luxembourg project ‘Spatial Optima and the Social Benefits of Urban Green Spaces’.
Related publication
Schindler, M., Le Texier, M. and Caruso, G. (2018). Spatial sorting in the use of green space in Brussels. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, 31, 169-184.