A METHOD FOR DESCRIBING SPATIAL VARIATIONS IN RECREATION PARTICIPATION

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Abstract
The paper presents a methodology for describing spatial variations in recreation participation and a means of explaining the extent to which these variations are a function of demographic and residential structure. For exemplary purposes, “locational quotients”—indices reflecting the extent to which each of a set of areas departs from some regional average—are calculated for each of the 1981 Census Tracts (N = 65) for the membership categories of the Central YM-YWCA in London, Ontario. These quotients are mapped illustrating both the spatial variations in membership and the degree to which each category is concentrated in certain areas of the City. In order to demonstrate the contribution of demographic and residential structure to the spatial variations, a demand model is constructed for each membership category employing the quotients as the dependent variable and relevant census tract descriptors drawn largely from the Census data as independent variables. The discussion focuses on the importance of examining spatial variations when attempting to explain recreation participation patterns.

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