Recreational areas and areas for recreational walking

Play and recreation area, and areas for recreational walking
There is no nationwide mapped information about either play and recreation area or areas for recreational walk. In this statistical work, it is therefore chosen to identify areas that may have potential as a recreational area and area for recreational walk.

Basically, we have chosen to distinguish between areas for recreational walk and play / recreation area only by land size. In the calculation of access to recreation areas, we also include areas for recreational walk as defined here. That is all recreation areas larger than 5 acres, including over 200 acres. We have not looked at wheter areas are regulated in terms of municipal land use planning (zoning, site plan or municipal) or prepared in the form of playground equipment, walking paths and trails and more. The terms "recreation area and areas for recreational walk" must not be confused with "recreational area" or "outdoor areas" used in the planning context.

The following areas are included in play- and recreation areas and areas for recreational walking:

• Forest, open solid ground, wetlands, bare rock, gravel and boulder fields, parks and sports fields cf Statistics standard classification of areas for statistical purposes.
• Lakes and ponds that are less than 1 acre are also included.

Sports that are not normally available for public recreational activities are not included.

Safe access
We use two definitions of safe access: one for short distances to relatively small areas (1 - play- and recreational areas) and one for longer distance to the larger areas (2 - areas for recreational walk):

1) For the smallest areas (recreation area), if you do not have to cross a road with relatively heavy traffic or over a certain speed limit (annual average daily traffic (ADT) 3000, speed limit 30). In addition, railroads is considered as a barrier.

2) Initially, we suggest that one can move safely along roads with higher traffic and speed limits to reach areas for recreational walking. We assume that one has access if one can travel along or across roads, walkways and trails except along or in plan of the barrier roads.

We consider the following roads as a barrier to areas for recreational walk:

• At least 3000 ADT and 30 km/h speed limit
• At least 2000 ADT and 50 km/h speed limit
• At least 1000 ADT and 70 km/h speed limit.

In addition railroads is considered as a barrier.

Homes, schools and kindergartens
We use the buildings and building type from the Cadastre (formerly Ground Property, Address and Building Register - GAB) to identify residential buildings, homes, schools and kindergartens

The statistics are based on established standard classifications.

Housing is distributed according to standard building type at level 2, but is limited to 01 detached houses, 02 houses with two dwellings, 03 rowhouse, linked house or house with 3 or 4 dwellings, 04 lmulti-dwelling buildings and 05 buildings for communities.

Kindergarten buildings and school buildings are statistics on the 3-digit level for the standard type of building. Kindergarten buildings (612) and school buildings (613-616).