Public recreation areas as social infrastructure: empirical results from Vienna

Abstract

The City of Vienna historically has a long tradition of social equity and environmental justice, starting already after the First World War. Planning green spaces has been an important element of urban development. In this chapter, recreation areas are conceptualized as social infrastructures, both in the sense of places where communication and social contacts take place, but also from the viewpoint of the recreation needs of low-income families satisfied by high-quality public recreation areas. An empirical survey of visitors in two large recreation areas (Kurpark Oberlaa, Danube Island/Donauinsel) revealed various important insights for urban development and spatial planning. On the one hand, the frequency of visits to the areas is - ceteris paribus - higher for families with larger households, below-average incomes, and precarious housing conditions. On the other hand, the recreation areas are consistently considered as public goods, for which the idea of charging entry fees is rejected by a large share of respondents. In all, the results indicate that urban recreation areas are part of the social infrastructure of a city, and that policies supporting high-quality green spaces not only improve public health, but are also an important feature of a wider understanding of social policies.