Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Spatial Potential Accessibility of Playgrounds in Barcelona City

  • Published:
Applied Spatial Analysis and Policy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

There has been an extensive tradition of geographical studies7 conducted to analyse the access to urban parks or green spaces. Several studies deploy approaches to measure the potential spatial accessibility and congestion of children’s playgrounds in urban areas. Identifying inequalities in terms of spatial access to children’s playgrounds is an important issue that could be useful for urban planners. The main objective of this paper is to measure the potential spatial accessibility and congestion of playgrounds in Barcelona City. A second objective is to analyse the factors that may explain differences between neighbourhoods in spatial access to playgrounds. Several analyses were carried out. First, two indicators of spatial potential accessibility are computed at the census tract level. Next, a mapping technique is used based on a cross tabulation of the quintiles of two indicators. A typology of census tracts can then be developed according to the various possible combinations between playground accessibility and congestion. Third, two spatial models—spatial lag and spatial error—are estimated in order to introduce socioeconomic factors into the explanation of accessibility and congestion. Finally, a multinomial logistic model is estimated to explain the typology of Barcelona census tracts based on potential playground congestion and accessibility. The results show that in Barcelona City, there are no important spatial disparities in terms of access to children’s playgrounds.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Akçagün, P. (2017). Provincial growth in Turkey: A spatial econometric analysis. Applied Spatial Analysis and Policy, 10(2), 271–299.

    Google Scholar 

  • Albert, G., Abo-Kalla, H., & Baron, M. (2011). Transport and environmental variables and the impact of cultural differences on playground use. Journal of Urban Planning and Development, 137(3), 291–297.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anselin, L. (2002). Under the hood issues in the specification and interpretation of spatial regression models. Agricultural Economics, 27(3), 247–267.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anselin, L, and RJGM Florax. 1995. “Small sample properties of tests for spatial dependence in regression models: Some further results.” In New Directions in Spatial Econometrics. Springer 21–74.

  • Apparicio, P., Cloutier, M.-S., Séguin, A.-M., & Ades, J. (2010). Accessibilité Spatiale Aux Parcs Urbains Pour Les Enfants et Injustice Environnementale. Exploration Du Cas Montréalais. Revue Internationale de Géomatique, 20(3), 363–389.

    Google Scholar 

  • Apparicio, P., Pham, T. T. H., Séguin, A. M., & Dubé, J. (2016). Spatial distribution of vegetation in and around City blocks on the island of Montreal: A double environmental inequity? Applied Geography, 76, 128–136.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arraiz, I., Drukker, D. M., Kelejian, H. H., & Prucha, I. R. (2010). A spatial cliff and Ord type model with heteroskedastic innovations: Small and Lartge sample results. Journal of Regional Science, 50(2), 592– 614.

  • Bayona-i-Carrasco, J., & Pujadas-i-Rúbies, I. (2014). Movilidad Residencial Y Redistribución de La Población Metropolitana: Los Casos de Madrid Y Barcelona. EURE (Santiago), 40(119), 261–287.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bennet, S. A., Yiannakoulias, N., Williams, A. M., & Kitchen, P. (2012). Playground accessibility and Neighbourhood social interaction among parents. Social Indicators Research, 108, 199–213.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bivand, R., & Piras, G. (2015). Comparing implementations of estimation methods for spatial econometrics. Journal of Statistical Software, 63(18), 1–36.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bivand, R., Hauke, J., & Kossowski, T. (2013). Computing the Jacobian in Gaussian spatial autoregressive models: An illustrated comparison of available methods. Geographical Analysis, 45(2), 150–179.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boone, C., Geoffrey. L. B., Morgan J. G., & Sister, C. (2009). Parks and people: An environmental justice inquiry in Baltimore, Maryland. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 99(4), 767–787.

  • Brasington, David M, and Diane Hite. 2005. “Demand for Environmental Quality: A Spatial Hedonic Analysis.” Regional Science and Urban Economics 35 (1). Elsevier: 57–82.

  • Casetti, E. (1972). Generating models by the expansion method: Applications to geographic research. Geographical Analysis, 28, 281–298.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dewi, S. P. (2012). How does the playground role in realizing children-Friendly-City? Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 38, 224–233.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dietze, B. (2013). How accessible and usable are our Neighbourhood playgrounds for children who have mobility restrictions or use mobility devices? Canadian Children, 38(2), 14–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fjortoft, I. (2001). The natural environment as a playground for children: The impact of outdoor play activities in pre-primary school children. Early Childhood Education Journal, 29(2), 111–117.

    Google Scholar 

  • Giles-Corti, B., Timperio, A., Bull, F., & Pikora, T. (2005). Understanding physical activity environmental correlates: Increased specificity for ecological models. Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews, 33(4), 175–181.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaczynski, A. T., & Henderson, K. A. (2007). Environmental correlates of physical activity: A review of evidence about parks and recreation. Leisure Sciences, 29(4), 315–354.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kryvobokov, M., Bonnafous, A., & Bouf, D. (2015). Simulating residential location choice at different geographical scales: The case of Lyon. Applied Spatial Analysis and Policy, 8(4), 351–370.

    Google Scholar 

  • LeSage, J. P., & Pace, R. K. (2009). Introduction to spatial econometrics. Boca Raton: CRC Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luo, W., & Qi, Y. (2009). An enhanced two-step floating catchment area (E2SFCA) method for measuring spatial accessibility to primary care physicians. Health and Place, 15, 1100–1107.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martori, J. C., & Apparicio, P. (2011). Changes in spatial patterns of the immigrant population of a southern European Metropolis: The case of the Barcelona metropolitan area (2001-2008). Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, 102(5), 562–581.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martori, J. C., Madariaga, R., & Oller, R. (2016). Real estate bubble and urban population density: Six Spanish metropolitan areas 2001–2011. Annals of Regional Science, 56(2), 369–392.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCarthy, S. M., Morgan Hughey, S., & Kaczynski, A. T. (2017). Examining sociodemographic differences in playground availability and quality and associations with childhood obesity. Childhood Obesity, 13(4), 1–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore, R. C., & Cosco, N. G. (2010). Using behaviour mapping to investigate healthy outdoor environments for children and families: Conceptual framework, procedures and applications. In In Innovative Approaches to Research Excellence in Landscape and Health. London: Taylor & Francis.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore, A., & Lynch, H. (2015). Accessibility and usability of playground environments for children under 12: A scoping review. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 22(5), 331–344.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ngom, R., Gosselin, P., & Blais, C. (2016). Reduction of disparities in access to green spaces: Their geographic insertion and recreational functions matter. Applied Geography, 66, 35–51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ngui, A. N., & Apparicio, P. (2011). Optimizing the two-step floating catchment area method for measuring spatial accessibility to medical clinics in Montreal. BMC Health Services Research, 11, 166.

    Google Scholar 

  • Olsen, Heather M., and Rodney B. Dieser. 2012. “I am hoping you can point me in the right direction regarding playground accessibility”: A case study of a community which lacked social policy toward playground accessibility.” World Leisure Journal 54(3): 269–79.

  • Prellwitz, M., & Skär, L. (2007). Usability of playgrounds for children with different abilities. Occupational Therapy International, 14(3), 144–155.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prellwitz, M., Tamm, M., & Lindqvist, R. (2001). Are playgrounds in Norrland (northern Sweden) accessible to children with restricted mobility? Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research, 3(1), 56–68.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reyes, M., Páez, A., & Morency, C. (2014). Walking accessibility to urban parks by children: A case study of Montreal. Landscape and Urban Planning, 125, 38–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rigolon, A. (2016). A complex landscape of inequity in access to urban parks: A literature review. Landscape and Urban Planning, 153, 160–169.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ripat, J., & Becker, P. (2012). Playground usability: What do playground users say? Occupational Therapy International, 19, 144–153.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roemmich, J. N., Beeler, J. E., & Johnson, L. A. (2014). A microenvironment approach to reducing sedentary time and increasing physical activity of children and adults at a playground. Preventive Medicine, 62, 108–112.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sister, C., Wolch, J., & Wilson, J. P. (2010). Got green? Addressing environmental justice in park provision. Geo Journal, 75(3), 229–248.

    Google Scholar 

  • Siu, K. W. M., Wong, Y. L., & Lam, M. S. (2017). Inclusive play in urban cities: A pilot study of the inclusive playgrounds in Hong Kong. Procedia Engineering, 198(September 2016), 169–175.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smiley, K. T., Sharma, T., Steinberg, A., Hodges-Copple, S., Jacobson, E., & Matveeva, L. (2016). More inclusive parks planning. Environmental Justice, 9(1), 1–7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smoyer-Tomic, K. E., Hewko, J. N., & John Hodgson, M. (2004). Spatial accessibility and equity of playgrounds in Edmonton, Canada. Canadian Geographer, 48(3), 287–302.

    Google Scholar 

  • Talen, E., & Anselin, L. (1998). Assessing spatial equity: An evaluation of measures of accessibility to public playgrounds. Environment and Planning A, 30, 595–613.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tamm, M., & Prellwitz, M. (1999). Attitudes of key persons to accessibility problems in playgrounds for children with restricted mobility: A study in a medium-sized municipality in northern Sweden. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 6(4), 166–173.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tang, B. S. (2017). Explaining the inequitable spatial distribution of public open space in Hong Kong. Landscape and Urban Planning, 161, 80–89.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turner, J., Fralic, J., Newman-Bennett, K., & Skinner, L. (2009). Everybody needs a break! Responses to a Playgarden survey. Pediatric Nursing, 35(1), 27–61134.

  • Venables, W. N., & Ripley, B. D. (2002). Modern Applied Statistics with S. fourth. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Veugelers, P., Sithole, F., Zhang, S., & Muhajarine, N. (2008). Neighborhood characteristics in relation to diet, physical activity and overweight of Canadian children. International Journal of Pedistric Obesity, 3, 152–159.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wen, M., Zhang, X., Harris, C. D., Holt, J. B., & Croft, J. B. (2013). Spatial disparities in the distribution of parks and green spaces in the USA. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 45(S1), 18–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolch, J., Wilson, J. P., & Fehrenbach, J. (2005). Parks and park funding in Los Angeles: An equity-mapping analysis. Urban Geography, 26(1), 4–35.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully thank Rafa Madariaga for his valuable suggestions on previous drafts of the paper. Angels Pinyana proof read fruitfully the paper. We also thank the Data Analysis and Modeling research group (2017SGR71) for the fruitful discussions we held together. We would like to thank the two reviewers and the Editor for very helpful improvement suggestions.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Economics and Business, University of Vic –UCC, Sagrada Família, 7, 08500 Vic, Barcelona, Spain

    Joan Carles Martori

  2. INRS Centre Urbanisation Culture Société, 385, rue Sherbrooke Est, Montréal, H2X 1E3, Canada

    Philippe Apparicio & Anne-Marie Séguin

Authors
  1. Joan Carles Martori
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Philippe Apparicio
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Anne-Marie Séguin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joan Carles Martori.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Martori, J.C., Apparicio, P. & Séguin, AM. Spatial Potential Accessibility of Playgrounds in Barcelona City. Appl. Spatial Analysis 13, 489–506 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12061-019-09316-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12061-019-09316-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation