Demand for woodland close to home
In the western part of the Netherlands, many people are dissatisfied with the amount of woodland located near where they live.
Current situation
Some 40% of the Dutch population consider that there is not enough woodland in the area where they live. That figure rises to more than 60% in the Randstad (the conurbation in the west of the country), the provinces of Zeeland and West-Brabant, the north of the country, and the islands of the province of Zuid-Holland - all of which have less woodland than elsewhere.
Technical note
Statistics Netherlands (CBS) has divided the Netherlands up into some 10 000 localities. The map indicates the percentage of the population in each CBS locality who believe that there is sufficient woodland in the area in which they live (taken to be within 16 km of their home).
The data are from research carried out by Intomart in 1999. The study did not cover each individual locality but is a national projection based on a number of respondents, on statistical research, and on the physical features of the various localities. The logistical regression formula used involves six physical features, including the percentage of the area that consists of woodland. Statistically, 76% of the responses were predicted correctly. This would seem to allow us to make use of the comparison in order to predict the average response of the residents of a particular locality.
References
- CBS (1997). Kerncijfers wijken en buurten. Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek. Voorburg/Heerlen.
- Reneman, D., M. Visser, E. Edelmann en B. Mors (1999). Mensenwensen. De wensen van Nederlanders ten aanzien van natuur en groen in de woonomgeving. Reeks Operatie Boomhut no. 6. Rapport Intomart en Staring Centrum. Hilversum en Wageningen.
- Vries, S. de (1999). Vraag naar natuurgebonden recreatie in kaart gebracht; inclusief een ruimtelijke confrontatie met het lokale aanbod. Reeks Operatie Boomhut no. 11. Rapport 674 Staring Centrum. Wageningen.
