How Leisure Venues Are and Why? A Geospatial Perspective in Wuhan, Central China

Yaolin Liu, Ying Jing, Enxiang Cai, Jiaxing Cui, Yang Zhang and Yiyun Chen
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Yaolin Liu: School of Resource and Environmental Science, Wuhan University, 129 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430079, China
Ying Jing: School of Resource and Environmental Science, Wuhan University, 129 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430079, China
Enxiang Cai: School of Resource and Environmental Science, Wuhan University, 129 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430079, China
Jiaxing Cui: School of Urban and Environmental Science, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
Yang Zhang: School of Resource and Environmental Science, Wuhan University, 129 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430079, China
Yiyun Chen: School of Resource and Environmental Science, Wuhan University, 129 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430079, China

Sustainability, 2017, vol. 9, issue 10, 1-21

Abstract: Urban leisure venues proffer spatial carriers for citizens’ leisure activities and their functions rely heavily on the spatial configuration, which have largely been ignored. The increasing needs for healthy leisure life and the availability of geospatial open data provide a rising opportunity to fill this gap. To examine the spatial distribution of leisure venues and explore its underlying dominating factors, we adopt geospatial analysis techniques—point pattern analysis and cluster analysis with multi-sources geospatial data in Wuhan, Central China. Results conclude interesting spatial discrepancy based on a three-level clustered pattern of 86520 leisure venues. We find that (1) most clusters are in urban center along the Yangtze River with all 1st-level clusters and plentiful 2nd-level and 3rd-level clusters; (2) There are just sporadic clusters in suburban areas—no 1st-level, merely one 2nd-level and some few 3rd-level ones. Moreover, we demonstrate three underlying dominating factors (i.e., the policy, population and economy) and identify that (1) No systematic (spatial-relevant) leisure policy framework is formed; (2) Population density and commercial centers have positive correlation with the distribution of leisure venues. This study contributes to spatial-relevant leisure policy-making for facilitating healthy leisure life, optimizing leisure space, guiding people-oriented urbanization transition and promoting urban competence.

Keywords: spatial analysis; leisure; urban policy; Wuhan; Central China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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