The value of the greenbelt in Vienna: a spatial hedonic analysis

Authors

Shanaka Herath, University of New South WalesFollow
Johanna Choumert, University of Auvergne - Clermont-Ferrand IFollow
Gunther Maier, Vienna University of Economics and BusinessFollow

RIS ID

108344

Publication Details

Herath, S., Choumert, J. & Maier, G. (2015). The value of the greenbelt in Vienna: a spatial hedonic analysis. The Annals of Regional Science: international journal of urban, regional and environmental research and policy, 54 (2), 349-374.

Abstract

This paper employs the hedonic price method to examine whether the implicit value of the greenbelt is capitalized into apartment prices in the city ofVienna, Austria. We improve the traditional model using spatial econometric techniques and compare the estimates from different spatial models, namely the spatial lag model, the spatial error model, and the spatial Durbin model (SDM). While our use of spatial models addresses the common problem of omitted variable bias, the SDMspecifically allows for controlling possible nearby proximity effects (i.e., small-scale neighborhood) that are rarely included in this type of analyses. Findings indicate that distance from the greenbelt is important in explaining apartment prices in Vienna and that the greenbelt exerts a centrifugal force. The SDM is found to be the best performing model indicating the existence of small-scale neighborhood effects and presenting a solid case for the consideration of this model in valuation of green amenities.