sustainability
Article The Impacts in Real Estate of Landscape Values: Evidence from Tuscany (Italy)
Francesco Riccioli 1,* , Roberto Fratini 2 and Fabio Boncinelli 2
1 Department of Veterinary Science—Rural Economics Section, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy 2 Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, 50144 Firenze, Italy; roberto.fratini@unifi.it (R.F.); fabio.boncinelli@unifi.it (F.B.) * Correspondence: [email protected]
Abstract: Using spatial econometric techniques and local spatial statistics, this study explores the relationships between the real estate values in Tuscany with the individual perception of satisfaction by landscape types. The analysis includes the usual territorial variables such as proximity to urban centres and roads. The landscape values are measured through a sample of respondents who expressed their aesthetic-visual perceptions of different types of land use. Results from a multivariate local Geary highlight that house prices are not spatial independent and that between the variables included in the analysis there is mainly a positive correlation. Specifically, the findings demonstrate a significant spatial dependence in real estate prices. The aesthetic values influence the real estate price throughout more a spatial indirect effect rather than the direct effect. Practically, house prices in specific areas are more influenced by aspects such as proximity to essential services. The results seem to show to live close to highly aesthetic environments not in these environments. The results relating to the distance from the main roads, however, seem counterintuitive. This result probably depends on the evidence that these areas suffer from greater traffic jam or pollution or they are preferred for alternative uses such as for locating industrial plants or big shopping centres rather than residential Citation: Riccioli, F.; Fratini, R.; use. Therefore, these effects decrease house prices. Boncinelli, F. The Impacts in Real Estate of Landscape Values: Evidence Keywords: local spatial autocorrelation; spatial non-stationarity; multivariate analysis; spatial; from Tuscany (Italy). Sustainability Durbin model 2021, 13, 2236. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/su13042236
Academic Editor: Thierry Feuillet 1. Introduction In the literature, there are many works that deal with and have dealt with the relation- Received: 28 December 2020 ship between real estate values with different variables including the distance from green Accepted: 15 February 2021 Published: 19 February 2021 areas, aesthetically valuable views (sea view, historic centre, urban parks, etc.), proximity to inhabited centres, and tourism (see, among others [1–6]). These studies aim to quantify
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral the correlation between real estate values and the characteristics of the surrounding areas. with regard to jurisdictional claims in In particular, they try to understand price trends in relation to the available services [4,7–9]. published maps and institutional affil- The price of houses is determined by the intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics of the iations. property being valued. The intrinsic characteristics are mainly related to technical parame- ters of the house such as size, number of rooms, presence of terraces, etc.). The extrinsic characteristics are related to the amenity of the areas where the property resides such as proximity to the city centre, the presence or distance from services (public transport, hospi- tals, schools, etc.), the presence or distance from green areas and so on [8]. Although these Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. characteristics are well-codified and estimable, the impacts of these features on the value This article is an open access article of a property can vary considerably between studies. This heterogeneity could depend distributed under the terms and essentially on the used variables, the applied methodologies (e.g. hedonic price, contingent conditions of the Creative Commons valuation, life satisfaction, positional value, etc.), different geographical locations of the Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// case studies, and availability of data. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ Luttik [10] uses hedonic pricing to estimate the effect of environmental attributes on 4.0/). house prices in eight towns in the Netherlands, estimating an increase in prices in homes if
Sustainability 2021, 13, 2236. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042236 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability Sustainability 2021, 13, 2236 2 of 17
they face water or areas with a diversity of landscape types. Similar results to the above were observed by Kong et al. [11] in Jinan City (China) and Kumagai and Yamada [12] in Tokyo (Japan) where house prices are influenced by the distance to forests and accessibility to green spaces such as urban parks. Joly et al. [13] confirm how forests and farmland close to houses located in the urban fringe of Dijon (France) have higher prices, while proximity to roads have a negative impact on prices. However, this is only if roads are visible within a 100–200 m radius; otherwise, they all have insignificant hedonic prices. Donovan and Butry [14] estimated the effects of street tree canopy on the home prices in Portland (USA). Both the number and size of such trees positively affect the sale price. A similar result is observed by Donovan et al. [15]. They showed that the presence of trees within 500 feet of a home increases its sale price. Li and Saphores [16] analysis showed that green space has a relationship on multifamily properties in the city of Los Angeles. Instead, Glaeneser and Caruso [17] observe that the presence of green space does not have a direct impact on prices. Their research focused on the diversity of land uses calculated through the Shannon index showing negative effects if close to properties and positive effects if more distant. However, these effects vary depending on the degree of urbanization of the area. Considering green spaces, Trojanek et al. [18] analysed the impact of their proximity on apartment prices in Warsaw (Poland). On average, green space within a 100-meter radius increases the price of housing from 2.8% to 3.1%. This increase is also affected by the date of construction, which for post-1989 buildings increased the price by 8.0–8.6%. Troy and Grove [19] highlighted that the real estate for the houses that are located 1 km away from a park is worth 5% less than an identical house close to a park. Tajima [20] observed an increase in 5.9% for properties close to green space, Damingos and Anyfan- tis [2] estimate an increase in 18% for properties with a view of an urban park, while for Crompton [21] the sell price of the properties adjacent to naturalistic parks and open spaces are 10% higher than the average price. For Benjamin and Sirmans [22] the values decrease about 2.5% for each 0.16 km distance from the metro station, while Debrezion [23] calculate and increment of values around 4.2% within 0.4 km of the railway station. All the above works are very specific and deal with limited urban areas usually ranging from well-defined streets to neighbourhoods or cities. The present study intends to enlarge the perspective of investigation to a broader geographical area, such as an entire region. It should be noted that this work does not intend to determine the real estate values through an established methodology (such as hedonic pricing) but intends to analyse the relationship between existing real estate values and the characteristics of the territory in which the houses are located. The interest in the introduction and processing of space as one of the determinants of social phenomena has a very important economic value. In recent years, many theoretical models have been developed in which the characteristics of an element locates in a specific point in the space depend on those of the other "neighbour" elements and where the strength of this influence decreases as the "distance" between the elements increases. Parallel to these theoretical models, statistical and econometric methodologies have been developed to test these hypotheses. This work focus on analysing the influence of the real estate values of two usual variables widely used in the literature, such as the distance from roads and the distance from inhabited centres [4,8,9,24]. They can increase or decrease prices according to the proximity to services that a residential centre can provide or according to the proximity of natural areas for a better quality of life. A third experimental variable has also been introduced, related to the landscape in which the property is inserted. This value was obtained through the aesthetic preferences of a group of interviewees about the landscape. Specifically, we investigated how the value of the landscape is linked to the price of the houses and how the value of the landscape of a particular area influences the prices of real estate of its neighbour areas. The hypothesis that we intend to test is represented by the Sustainability 2021, 13, x FOR PEER REVIEW 3 of 18
and how the value of the landscape of a particular area influences the prices of real estate Sustainability 2021, 13, 2236 of its neighbour areas. The hypothesis that we intend to test is represented by the3 of fact 17 that the relationships between the prices of real estate and the three variables analysed are not spatial stationary, thus they vary according to the territory examined. We tested how these variablesfact that in the the relationships model have between a consistent the prices relationship of real estate with and each the three other variables both in analysed terms of ge- ographicalare not spatial space stationary, and data thusspace. they vary according to the territory examined. We tested howThese these relationships variables in the were model spatially have a analysed consistent through relationship statistics with eachand othereconometric both in tech- niquesterms called of geographical the Multivariate space and Local data space.Geary and the Spatial Durbin model. Exploring the spatial Thesecorrelation relationships between were real spatially estate values analysed and through the other statistics variables, and econometric it will be possible tech- to provideniques the called public the Multivariatedecision-makers Local Gearywith a and tool the able Spatial to promote Durbin model.right territorial Exploring planning the choicesspatial from correlation the social, between economic, real estate and values enviro andnmental the other variables,point of view. it will beThe possible case study to is provide the public decision-makers with a tool able to promote right territorial planning represented by the values of the interest variables retrieved for the Region of Tuscany choices from the social, economic, and environmental point of view. The case study is whererepresented the minimum by the valuesunit of of analys the interestis chosen variables is represented retrieved areas for the identified Region of by Tuscany Real Estate Marketwhere Observatory the minimum (OMI) unit of of analysis the Italian chosen tax is department. represented areas identified by Real Estate MarketThis Observatorypaper is organized (OMI) of theas follows. Italian tax In department. Section 2 the materials and method are de- scribed;This in Section paper is organized3 results are as follows. presented; In Section in Section2 the materials 4 a discussion and method is provided; are described; Section 5 is dedicatedin Section3 resultsto conclusions. are presented; in Section4 a discussion is provided; Section5 is dedicated to conclusions.
2. Materials2. Materials and and Method Method ConsideringConsidering the the data data available andand the the previous previous literature literature involved involved in real in estatereal estate analysis,analysis, the the work work is is focused focused onon thethe following following variables: variables: (i) real(i) real estate estate values; values; (ii) distance (ii) distance fromfrom the the inhabited inhabited centres; centres; ( iii)) distancedistance from from roads; roads; (iv ()iv aesthetic) aesthetic values values of the of landscape. the landscape. TheThe analysis analysis was was performed performed in Tuscany, a a region region locates locates in thein the centre centre of Italy of Italy (Figure (Figure1a,b). 1a,b).
(a) (b)
FigureFigure 1. The 1. Theanalysis analysis was was performed performed in inTuscany, Tuscany, a a region ofof centercenter Italy Italy (a )(a that) that is mainlyis mainly hilly hilly with with mountain mountain chains chains (called(called Apennines) Apennines) located located in inthe the north north part part of of the the region region ((bb).).
ThereThere are are several several studies studies onon spatialspatial data data analysis analysis thanks thanks to which to which local local econometric econometric techniques have been developed [25–28] to estimate local spatial associations [29]. Indeed, techniques have been developed [25–28] to estimate local spatial associations [29]. Indeed, global indicator provides an indication of the spatial pattern of the phenomena without Sustainability 2021, 13, 2236 4 of 17
global indicator provides an indication of the spatial pattern of the phenomena without providing information for a particular local spatial unit. Therefore, Anselin [25] proposed the Local Indicator of Spatial Association (LISA), which identifies more effective spatial clustering by decomposing global spatial indicators to identify and test the areas that most contribute to them. Some examples are the LISA indicators, including local Moran’s I and local Geary’s c. The global measure of autocorrelation Geary’s C [30] has the following expression: