Determinants of inefficiency in the provision of public parks and gardens services

IF 6.6 1区经济学 Q1 URBAN STUDIES

Cities Pub Date : 2025-05-08 DOI:10.1016/j.cities.2025.106031

Bernardino Benito , María del Carmen Conesa-Pérez , María-Concepción Parra-Meroño

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

This study examines the efficiency of public parks and gardens management in 202 Spanish municipalities with populations between 5000 and 50,000 inhabitants. Using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) with double bootstrapping, efficiency scores are estimated while correcting for bias and assessing key inefficiency determinants. The results indicate that only 1 % of municipalities achieve efficiency under constant returns to scale, while 10 % do so under variable returns, highlighting significant inefficiencies and the potential for resource optimisation.

Several factors significantly influence efficiency. Higher population density (−21.65), income levels (−49.84), and cadastral property values (−3.16) improve efficiency, likely due to economies of scale, increased citizen demand for service quality, and stronger financial oversight. Conversely, higher tax burdens (+0.2188), political concentration (+33.20), and a larger immigrant population (+90.99) correlate with lower efficiency, suggesting weakened expenditure control, reduced accountability, and increased pressure on public space management.

The study proposes targeted policy recommendations to address these inefficiencies. Inter-municipal cooperation is encouraged to improve efficiency, particularly in smaller municipalities where shared services could reduce costs. Citizen oversight mechanisms should be reinforced to enhance governance transparency and accountability. Additionally, municipalities with high tax burdens or larger immigrant populations should implement strategies ensuring sustainable public space management. Smart technologies, such as IoT-based irrigation systems and automated maintenance, could further optimise efficiency.

By integrating DEA with double bootstrapping, this study provides a robust framework for evaluating municipal efficiency. The findings offer insights for policymakers seeking to improve public resource management while ensuring sustainable and inclusive urban green spaces.

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公共公园及花园服务欠缺效率的决定因素

本研究考察了西班牙202个人口在5000至50000人之间的城市的公园和花园管理效率。利用双引导的数据包络分析（DEA），在修正偏差和评估关键低效率决定因素的同时估计效率分数。结果表明，只有1%的市政当局在规模恒定回报下实现了效率，而10%的市政当局在可变回报下实现了效率，这凸显了显著的低效率和资源优化的潜力。有几个因素显著影响效率。较高的人口密度（- 21.65）、收入水平（- 49.84）和地籍财产价值（- 3.16）提高了效率，这可能是由于规模经济、公民对服务质量的需求增加以及更强有力的金融监管。相反，更高的税收负担（+0.2188）、政治集中度（+33.20）和更多的移民人口（+90.99）与较低的效率相关，这表明支出控制减弱、问责制减少、公共空间管理压力增加。该研究提出了有针对性的政策建议，以解决这些效率低下的问题。鼓励城市间合作以提高效率，特别是在共享服务可降低成本的较小城市。加强公民监督机制，提高治理透明度和问责制。此外，税收负担高或移民人口较多的城市应实施确保可持续公共空间管理的战略。智能技术，如基于物联网的灌溉系统和自动化维护，可以进一步优化效率。通过将DEA与双自举相结合，本研究提供了一个稳健的城市效率评估框架。研究结果为寻求改善公共资源管理，同时确保可持续和包容性城市绿色空间的政策制定者提供了见解。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Cities URBAN STUDIES-

CiteScore

11.20

自引率

9.00%

发文量

517

期刊介绍： Cities offers a comprehensive range of articles on all aspects of urban policy. It provides an international and interdisciplinary platform for the exchange of ideas and information between urban planners and policy makers from national and local government, non-government organizations, academia and consultancy. The primary aims of the journal are to analyse and assess past and present urban development and management as a reflection of effective, ineffective and non-existent planning policies; and the promotion of the implementation of appropriate urban policies in both the developed and the developing world.