Spatial Potential Accessibility of Playgrounds in Barcelona City

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.