ANNEX 1.3 SECTOR REPORT RECREATION

Prague European Workshop

Wageningen University July 2017

Lecturers

B. van Vliet C. Oonk S. Rickebusch

Sector members

Carolin Wilken Davide Angelucci Hadija Nagujja Irene Peeters Masooma Batool Petra Kunovska

i Sector Report: Recreation

TABLE OF CONTENTS List of figures ...... iii 1 Introduction ...... 1 2 Current situation ...... 3 2.1 People ...... 3 2.1.1 Contribution of ES to recreation ...... 3 2.1.2 How do people influence the ES for recreational activities in the Soutok area? ...... 4 2.1.3 People's perception on the recreational quality ...... 4 2.2 Nature ...... 7 2.2.1 Important ES ...... 7 2.2.2 Which natural features are valued by people? ...... 7 2.2.3 How do ES influence the recreational activities in the Soutok area? ...... 7 2.3 Economy ...... 8 2.3.1 How do businesses (in the recreational sector) make use of the benefits provided by the ES in the Soutok area? ...... 8 2.3.2 What impact do businesses have on recreation related to ES in the Soutok area? ...... 9 2.3.3 To what extent do people feel like they profit from recreational activities in the area? ...... 10 3 SWOT analysis ...... 11 3.1 Strengths ...... 11 3.2 Weaknesses ...... 12 3.3 Opportunities ...... 12 3.4 Threats ...... 13 4 Sectoral input for ecosystem services management ...... 15 5 Siscussion and recommendation ...... 16 5.1 Limitations of research ...... 17 5.2 Recommendations ...... 17 6 Conclusion ...... 17 7 References ...... 19

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LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Recreational activities in the Soutok area in the south of Prague Figure 2. Relation of ES provided by Soutok area and well-being of people Figure 3. Important facilities in the Soutok area Figure 4 Appreciation of recreational possibilities in relation to area of living Figure 5. Occupation vs frequent visit in Soutok area

Figure 6. Emotionally connectedness to the Soutok area per age group Figure 7. Contribution of area to economy of people Figure 8. SWOT analysis of recreation in the Soutok area Figure 9. Possible future developments for recreation in the Soutok area

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1 INTRODUCTION

In recent years, recreation has gained more importance all over the world - the spending per person for leisure activities increased steadily, thus creating greater economic influence. AP (1986) defines recreation as ‘experiences and activities chosen and pursued by the individual in his/her free time; the basis being that the experience sought and activities pursued, in the real sense of the word, 're-creates' the individual so that he or she may be refreshed to enable him/her to resume daily obligations, whatever those may be’

Millennium ecosystem assessment (2005) recognises recreation as one of the cultural ecosystem services that evoke human emotions as a result of people connecting with nature as well as built environments such as cultivated landscapes and infrastructures.

Both people and natural processes are tightly linked with each other in the concept of ecosystem services. They engage themselves in recreational outdoor activities for many reasons such as; relaxation, mental or spiritual well-being, experience nature and landscape, environmental knowledge enrichment and to socialize with others. Currently, however, there remains a relative lack of research on public attitudes and understanding about ecosystem services and the related benefits (Smith, et al., 2011). Therefore, there is need to incorporate an understanding of people’s attitudes and perceptions about ecosystem services into natural resource planning and management.

In this report, the analysis of the current situation of recreation in relation to ecosystem services in Soutok area has been conducted. The report is based on data collected through expert interviews, surveys and observation in the Soutok area. The report introduces identification of the current ecosystem services in the Soutok area, using the sustainability pillars (people, environment and economy), provides a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis for the area with best and bad practises proposed, possible future situations and final sections including recommendations for both IPR and general public, limitations and conclusions.

Background Information

The city of Prague is characterized by a mix of modern and old (industrial or monumental) buildings as a relic from past communist times (Sykora, 1992). Since the beginning of post-communist transition in 1990, a shift has taken place from concentration of investments mainly in the historic centre, more towards suburbs in the outer city. During the second half of the 1990s, suburbanization has become the most important process of urban change (Sykora, 2007). Even though the green space in Prague covers around 17% of the total area, some areas lack sufficient natural environment for human-related activities.

As a result, many Prague citizens have alternative houses in the outskirts of the city to escape the city over the weekends. Most of the houses date back to the end of War World II (Sykora, 1992). In total, there are over 100,000 homes in the metropolitan region of Prague that are used during weekends by people who want to escape from city life (Vagner, 2002). Not only these weekend trips are important for the Prague citizens, but one-day recreational activities for citizens become prominent when looking at the population density of 2,582 people per sq. kilometre (Hernandez, 2014).

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The Soutok area, located in the south of Prague and surrounded by the river Vltava and Berounka and the villages/districts VelkáChuchle, Lahovice, Lipence, Zbraslav, Černošice and Radotín, could offer a great opportunity for recreational activities (see Figure 1). The area is characterized by untouched natural areas, in combination with agricultural fields and a few recreational activities such as a golf course. The quality of nature-based recreation is based on the state of nature and therefore it is crucial to assess which natural features benefit or oppose recreational possibilities.

Figure 1. Recreational activities in the Soutok area in the south of Prague

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Reason for study The municipality of Prague, in accordance with Prague Institute of Planning (IPR), wants to enhance the natural benefits for both residents around Soutok area and inhabitants living within and around the city of Prague. Located at the edge but still within the boundary of Prague, the Soutok area offers the opportunity for the establishment of a Peri-urban Park. As defined by the European Union, “recreation” is considered as one of the core principles of such a Peri-Urban Park (European Union, a.n.d.). In the Soutak area, aside from natural areas in which people can walk, cycle, etc., there are also various activities such as a golf course and a go-kart centre. The users of these services are not only the local population, but also the inhabitants of other areas of Prague. Considering this, this paper aims to link the ES to current and future recreational opportunities in the Soutok area to enable the development of a Peri-urban Park. Objectives  Assess and analyze the current and potential value of ES in relation to recreation in the Soutok area and their relation to sustainable principles (economic growth, nature protection and social well-being) based on literature research, own observations and expert interviews.  Elaborate potential future developments of recreational activities related to ES management practices in the Soutok area.  Assess the recreational possibilities in relation to cultural ES in different Peri-urban Parks in Europe to provide examples on best- and bad practices through literature research. Research questions ● Which ES in relation to recreation are present in the Soutok area? - What is the contribution of ES to the sustainability pillars - people, environment, economy? - What is the perceived value of ES by people and how much are ES used by the people? ● What are strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the status of the recreational related ES in the Soutok area for the development of a Peri-urban Park? ● What can be learned from provided examples of best/bad practices and the current status of the recreational activities in the Soutok area in relation to ES management for recreation?

2 CURRENT SITUATION To evaluate the recreational possibilities in the Soutok area, the current situation has been assessed with regards to their impact on the sustainability pillars - people, environment, economy. 2.1 People

Recreation offers many benefits to the people in the form of health benefits and social well-being. This sub-chapter elaborates on the extend recreation plays in the Soutok area for the local communities and individuals within and around Prague.

2.1.1 Contribution of ES to recreation Nature is not only important for human survival but also for improving their quality of life through spiritual, social and psychological benefits. People-nature interactions have fundamentally shifted

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Sector Report: Recreation from direct consumption and exploitation in the past to more mutualistic relationships in which people actively seek interactions with nature for recreation and enjoyment. Based on observations and interviews conducted for this report, the Soutok area is currently used mainly for cycling, roller skating, walking, riding horses, fishing, swimming and playing golf. More detailed information about the observations in relation to recreation can be found in Annex I. There is also a golf school as well as playgrounds, tennis courts and football fields. Other facilities are a shooting range, a dog training area, a camp site, an open area for concert stage, recreational cottages/ weekend houses which take a great part in Czech lifestyle (see Figure 1) (Interviews 3, 4, 14, 16, 18, 19). According to Interviewee 3 there is also the possibility for ‘geocaching’, an exploration game which involves searching for some treasures using GPS navigation and other hints. All activities contribute either physical exercises for psychological well-being of the people or provide relaxation by enjoyment of the scenic landscape.

2.1.2 How do people influence the ES for recreational activities in the Soutok area? By spending time in the Soutok area, the people have an influence on the ecosystem and shape it according to their activities. Most observed activities such as walking dogs or cycling do not have a negative effect on the ES present in the Soutok area. However, some activities can destroy them. As an example, observed illegal bonfires along the riverside could result in destruction of natural ground and expose the area to the threat of forest fires in the summer months. As a response to this an association was funded by a school in Zbraslav to prevent these illegal sites with the intention of promoting the aesthetic value and preserve nature (Interview 3)

As some parts of the riverside are not well developed and are inaccessible, the people who want to reach the river for fishing usually damage the area by making random pathways (Interview 4). The interviewee further commented on pollution caused by dumping of waste by people coming from outside the Soutok area by referring to a private owner of place surrounding Lahovičky´s lake “...this owner does not really care about the place and does not want to buy any trash bins because it does not bring any profit to him…’’. This taints the area, thereby losing its aesthetic value. ‘To help solving this trash problem a volunteer team in Lahovičky has been established and they organize days for cleaning the area’, he concludes. 2.1.3 People's perception on the recreational quality According to the survey with 500 participants, the Soutok area is valued most for its ‘recreational activities’ and ‘beautiful scenery’ (see Figure 2). The positively perceived ‘fresh air’ does also contribute to the fact that around 58% of all participants consider the recreational facilities as the most important facility in the whole area (see Figure 3). A striking fact is that more people from other areas in Prague value these recreational possibilities higher than locals from adjacent villages/districts (see Figure 4). The group most dominant when visiting the park includes the working class, followed by students. Most of them visit a park occasionally up to weekly (see Figure 5). However, the emotional attachment to the park is distributed equally among all age groups (see Figure 6).

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Figure 2. The perception of people about Ecosystem services provided by Soutok area to their well-being (Based on survey, most of the component of ecosystem of Soutok area is contributing positively to the wellbeing of people. Fresh air in the area (62%), recreation and tourist attraction (58%), Beautiful scenery (56%) are more significant to positively influence the welfare of people. The provisioning services (wild products, fish, crops) is showing almost similar trends of having positive (22%), slightly positive (20%), and negative impacts. However, almost 25% people do not have any idea about the contribution of ecosystem to their wellbeing.

Figure 3. Important facilities in the Soutok area (Most of the people think that recreation areas (58%) are one of the most important facilities present in the area. The other most contributing feature of area to attract people are infrastructure (38%) and public facilities (22%). However, the area lack to provide information services (8%) to the people such as signposts etc.

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Figure 4. Recreational possibilities in relation to area of living (We analyse the areas from where most people come to visit the area. Interestingly, majority of people come from areas other than Prague (29%), followed by people from Zbraslav (25%). The areas such as Lipence, Praha 12 and Radotin consist of almost equal percentage of people (12%) who come to visit the area. However, the least important people who move to Soutak area is from VelkaChuchle (1%).

Figure 5. Occupation vs frequent visit in Soutok area (To assess the relation of people’s occupation and visiting the park, we conducted this survey. Based on its result, the working people seems to visit the park more as compared to students, retired and other persons. The frequency of working people to visit the park occasionally (115 time) as well as weekly (100 times) is higher than all others. The second most visitors in the park are students (25 times in a week and 38 times occasionally). However, it is interesting to note that there are very few people who never visit the park).

Figure 6. Emotionally connectedness to the Soutok area per age group (People seems to have emotional attachment with the areas. Based on survey, we found that the different age groups do not have major influence and the area has almost equal importance from emotionally connectedness. However, the people belonging to age group from 1981-1990 appear to have more attachment (27%) with the place).

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2.2 Nature

Nature provides habitat for all species. Therefore, it should be protected to sustain future living, as well as giving people the possibility to enjoy it for recreational purposes. This chapter focuses on the relation between nature and recreation.

2.2.1 Important ES The major natural part of the Soutok area are currently being used as agricultural or recreational areas. Based on observation, surveys and interviews it was analysed that the wild areas and rivers in Soutok area are playing significant role to enhance benefits from these natural ecosystems to humans. Both rivers are providing opportunities of enjoying nature and doing recreational activities such as fishing, boating and camping. The riverside can be further developed to enhance leisure activities of people e.g. by providing leisure instruments (benches) and by developing platforms for river viewpoints. The river, vegetation cover, forest and landscape in the area are playing significant roles in enhancing the provisioning of ecosystem services that maintain the integrity of recreational areas. For example, the riverside provides fresh and clean air, as vegetation improves air quality by removing pollutants from the atmosphere. During our survey, the people were asked about the quality of air of the area and majority of people feel that there is good quality of air in Soutok area. At a same time, these natural components are also regulating temperature of area that attract more people to come for leisure activities. The maximum space of area has been covered by grassland (open field) that is providing cultural services to the people due to its aesthetic value. Green spaces provide multiple opportunities for physical exercise, improved mental health, and cognitive development. The area has aesthetic inspiration and spiritual value for the people who come to visit it. There are also some issues in the natural part of this area, for example, due to dense forest on some parts of riverside, it is not accessible to have a good viewpoint for visitors. Based on the observations, the area also has meadows to support a huge range of wildlife such as wildflowers, butterflies, bees, flies, some insects in the area to maintain biodiversity. 2.2.2 Which natural features are valued by people? People often choose where to spend their leisure time based on the characteristics of the natural landscapes in an area (Chiesura, 2004). The natural features of recreation in Soutok area include open field area, grassland, forest and landscape. These features provide opportunities for aesthetic inspiration/beauty scenery, in addition to psychological and health benefits. According to expert from interview 9, the inhabitants of area are aware of the benefits that they get from the ecosystem of Soutok. The experts during interview (Interview 22 and 23) session recommend increasing development of recreational infrastructures in order to enhance the provision of ecosystem services. 2.2.3. How do ES influence the recreational activities in the Soutok area? The ecosystem of the Soutok area is currently influencing the recreational activities there. Observation and interviews confirmed that the river can have an important influence on recreation sector. According to the Representative of Lahovičky (Interview 21), the flooding is a big issue for the development of permanent recreational facilities located on the riversides area. Moreover, the interviewer stressed the fact that only ‘mobile activities’ are allowed by the law in those areas due to the high risk of flooding despite measures of flooding management. However, the ES currently present in the area facilitate the development of recreational activities. Through the observation in the Soutok area, it was possible to identify the natural green open spaces which provide an important

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Sector Report: Recreation aesthetic value for the people that use the area for leisure activities for walking or cycling. During the interview, representative of Lipence (Interview 14) also coined the same idea green space values. Furthermore, the observation identified that the natural landscape of the area provided a platform for golf course activities and cycling paths for cyclists as well as pedestrians and hikers. Nature and biodiversity in the current state represent an important factor for recreation. As expressed by the interviewee 10 and 14, most Soutok area users prefer spending their free time in the area because of the wildness and unspoilt green area it offers and that nature provides peaceful environment that enhance recreational activities.

2.3 Economy

Currently, the area is providing environmental, aesthetic and recreational benefits to people, but, it is also a source of positive economic benefit that can be further improved. The following chapter provides an assessment of the present businesses in the area and their relation to recreation.

2.3.1 How do businesses (in the recreational sector) make use of the benefits provided by the ES in the Soutok area?

Cultural ES can contribute to human well-being mostly with non-material benefits. Nevertheless, some of the recreational activities currently located in the Soutok area have a direct connection with business and economic sector.

Despite few people benefiting economically from the Soutok area (see Figure 7), some businesses were identified around Soutok area in relation to recreational activities. These include the golf course, bike rental shop, river tour operator, sport facilities as well as restaurants (see Figure 1 in Chapter 1.1). The golf course “Prague City Golf” makes use of the flat and open space in the center of the Soutok area by creating an artificial grassland, including hills, grasslands and little lakes. According to the manager, the facility needs to accommodate around 400 visitors per day. This number of visitors make it by far the largest recreational business in the area. The bike renting shop in Lipence “Lerko Sports” offers leisure equipment such as kites but also the possibility to rent (pedal) bikes. According to the owner, the daily average of people renting pedal bikes is approximately around 10. Observations showed, that people who rent these bikes use them on the cycling path to explore the scenic landscape in the Soutok area. The Berounka river at the southern side of the area provides a scenic landscape with its wild riverside from which a boat tour operator offers small cruises on this river.

Figure 7. Contribution of area to economy of people (Currently, there is no major income source for the people in Soutok area. It has been presented in the above figure that 75 % people do not derived money from the area.

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However, the area has some economical sources for the people such as Tourism (9%), Food production (5%) and wood tourism (4%).

Most of the businesses benefit from the environment and are strongly correlated with ES such as scenic landscape and a diversity in natural features such as open fields, surface water bodies and untouched nature. Only sporting facilities like the tennis court or football field have potentially a weaker relation to ES as these activities could also take place in other parts of a town and do not necessarily need the scenic, open landscape. Due to the strong relation of ES towards economic possibilities, a good quality of ES is crucial for the future economic function of the mentioned businesses. If nature will be destroyed in any ways, it will probably result in a decreased potential for recreation in the area.

2.3.2 What impact do businesses have on recreation related to ES in the Soutok area?

By influencing the shape of the landscape (extracting resources) and introducing new activities or materials into the area, businesses can have an influence on the ecosystem services. It is important to assess this, in order to engage proper management in the future.

Bike Rental Shop: This Bike Rental Shop promotes low-carbon transportation, by the usage of (peddle) bikes and has in that perspective a positive impact on the environment as it does not pollute. It also has a positive impact on the cultural ES of recreation and mental/physical health.

Wholesale Market: The Wholesale Market is not directly linked with recreation, however has an influence on it through disturbance by heavy vehicles with air and noise pollution. It also poses danger to cyclists in as there are no designated cycling path.

Golf Course: While the economic benefits of the golf course due to the visitors are high, it can have considerable impacts on the ES in the Soutok Area. One of the impacts is related to the visitors that make use of the golf course. Through observation it has become clear that most of the visitors travel by large cars. The car traffic can put stress on the regulating ES of local climate and air quality as there will be more pollutants in the air. Also, the layout of the golf course has effects on the ES. Some holes in the golf course have the size of a small lake. This can limit the capacity of the regulating ES to mitigate extreme events such as floods and limit the amount of infiltration possible - also increasing the risk of floods. The Golf Course is beneficial for the cultural ES recreation.

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Mining Company: The extraction of gravel could have great economic value for the region and the country. Mining destructs nature, which was found to be the most important feature of the Soutok area considered by people. Therefore, the mining could pose a great threat to recreational activities. It is important to assess the impact mining activities have on the ES important for recreation, so that proper management can be developed. There is the fear that the mining can have a negative impact on the provisioning ES of fresh water as the holes to extract the gravel will be relatively deep and the plan of the company is to fill them with waste material. This could infect the groundwater reserves, which is also used for drink water purification. Inhabitants fear that the activities will affect the local climate and air quality due to the transport of gravel close to villages, such as Zbraslav. Similarly, to the golf course, the holes created by the mining company can limit the capacity of the regulating ES to mitigate extreme events such as flooding. The excavation site and the presence of trucks and heavy machinery can decrease the aesthetic value of the area and therefore impact the cultural ES. The cultural ES of recreation and mental/physical health can be impacted by the mining activities because mining activities can make the area less visually appealing. However, due to the pollution caused by the transport, visitors may see the area as less appropriate for recreation. These effects can thus decrease the recreation value, which will lead to less economic value in the area.

But it is important to realize that with proper management, the mine can also enhance certain ES. The activities could reshape small pockets of the Soutok Area into unique landscapes, which may provide habitat for new species and can attract visitors for unique recreation facilities and increase the tourism in the area.

2.3.3 To what extent do people feel like they profit from recreational activities in the area?

As mentioned, the largest economic actor in the recreational sector is the golf course. So far it seemed as if the revenues generated there, are not shared with locals. This is also represented by findings of surveys in the area. It was found out that around 9% of all respondents do benefit in monetary terms from the current recreational activities (see Figure 5 of Annex II). This shows that the potential of the area for recreational businesses is not yet exhausted and could be increased. According to a teacher of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Charles university (Interview 17) and Representative of Lahovičky (Interview 21), small scale agriculture could represent a good option not only to sell local products, but also to increase the level of biodiversity in the area which is strictly connected with recreational activities, since a better environmental condition of the area would attract more people. Additionally, as proposed by (Interview 21), small lakes on the riverside could be developed, aiming not only to protect the area from flooding but also for recreational fishing.

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3 SWOT ANALYSIS

To assess the current and potential ES that serve recreational purposes in the Soutok area and with regards to the aim of developing a Peri-urban Park in the Soutok area, a SWOT Analysis is used. This analysis focuses on strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of ES that are related with recreational activities to detect possibilities for future interventions and/or developments. The summary of the SWOT is shown in table below whereas the explanation of it can be found in the sub- chapters thereafter. The data for analysis is derived from the current situation (Chapter 2.2) as well as examples of best practices that have been included in separate boxes.

Figure 8. SWOT analysis of recreation in the Soutok area

3.1 Strengths Some of the positive t features of the Soutok area include:  Scenic landscape: Based on the observations, the Soutok area has a scenic landscape which includes: open green spaces, wild nature and (fruit)trees that are used for harvesting fruits or flowers.  Facilities: The area has recreational facilities that have been mentioned in chapter 2.1.1 such as the golf course, tennis court, football fields and playgrounds, as well as a bike rental shop which is used by cyclists within the park. The area also has various weekend cottages which are used by the residents of Prague and an observation tower for scenic viewing.  Activities: The river Berounka and Vltava provide recreational activities such as boating and fishing. Some streets are used by sport cyclists.  Infrastructure: The infrastructure network contains private/public transport, bus stations, train stations, and parking lots for vehicles within the area.

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 Rivers (Berounka and Vltava: Rivers play a vital role in the area by encouraging social interaction and bonding (social cohesion). Voluntary groups centred on protecting their river corridors bring communities together in positive action to look after their local area fostering a community spirit, pride in the environment and a sense of belonging. They also provide outdoor recreation activities such as kayaking, boating trips and fishing activities.

3.2 Weaknesses Amongst the key themes identified from the observations, the most important weaknesses of the Soutok area include:  Inadequate transportation and recreational infrastructure: such as a lack of designated cycling and walking paths on the roads. This causes dangerous situations as people walk on the same road as cars. Recreational facilities such as benches, rest rooms, restaurants are lacking. Also, the cycling and walking paths are of poor quality, with potholes which prevent people from using it or make e.g. part of the riverside not accessible. There is also no sufficient waste management infrastructure yet that can handle a larger amount of people (e.g. waste water when looking at the retail market) if recreation will increase.  Insufficient transport connection: There is partly insufficient connection of public transport due to time schedule of bus and a poor connection of Soutok area towards the other side of the river (which is currently already used quite a lot for recreation).  Lack of clear bike and walk paths/Inaccessibility of riverside: The riverside is not always accessible and not maintained (e.g. a road was transformed into a field), bushes and trees block the view which reduces potential usage. Also, most areas lack clear or designated routes for pedestrians and cyclists.  Abandoned/old building: In a lot of areas nature is not maintained and left “wild”. Recently there was an accident where one person was killed by a falling tree. Abandoned ruins also lower the aesthetic/scenic value of the area and construction work on some houses causes noise and disrupt the “quietness” of the area.  Lack of educational signposts: There are only a few information boards for educational purposes. Therefore, there are no incentives for people given to get informed about the area.

3.3 Opportunities The Soutok area offers several opportunities which include:  Road network system: Despite most roads being maintained, some transportation and infrastructure, most roads and cycling paths could be improved qualitatively to make the area more accessible for everyone and increase recreational opportunities. The public transport connections could be improved by more frequent busses to create more access and thus enhancing recreational activities and services. For example, current facilities could be improved qualitatively and new ones could be built to attract more visitors. Also, areas, such as the riverside/river, can be made more accessible to increase recreational activities (e.g. fishing, boating and swimming).  Building community: The very fabric of a society is its ability to bring its people together to recognise common aims. Therefore, the Soutok area also represents an opportunity for sense of place and belonging.

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 More funding by the Government: Focusing on economic development using recreation offering as an economic driver and catalyst could lead to a possibility that there will be an increase of monetary revenue for locals by the government due to the development of businesses related to recreation (currently 9% of the survey respondents say they earn money in the area through recreation). Horse stables could be expanded to increase recreational opportunities.

Best practice 1: Business development due to recreation In Park Lingezegen (The Netherlands) the development of the park gave an enormous impulse to the business and recreation sector. An entrepreneur opened a restaurant (with a thematic hiking route) because he knew that there would be customers, due to the park. Several recreational developments in the area are hiking, cycling, running, nature education, historical routes and a care farm.

● Nature and recreation: Open spaces create more recreation opportunities within developments such as fitness centres, swimming pools, growing participation in outdoor activities and programs such as adventure races, kickballs, geocaching and so on. Nature could be better integrated into recreational purposes through information boards, theme trails and animal watching towers. Possibilities for businesses related to recreation could be developed such as canoeing or restaurants.

Best practice 2: Integration of nature and recreation In Hoge Kempen National Park (Belgium), a cycling network was created with the purpose of reconnecting visitors with nature and increase awareness of the benefits we get from biodiversity.

Best practice 3: Integration of nature and recreation In ENCI Chalk Mine (The Netherlands), there is an extensive plan on how to combine nature and recreation in one area. Such as an information centre (with café), setting out thematic hiking routes (available for free), raising an observation platform that provides the visitors with an overview of the area and a bird-watching platform to observe the ‘eagle owl valley’

● Technological advancement: Through use of mobile apps and social media, crowdfunding could be utilised. this could be a form of crowdsourcing and an alternative source of funding that could help improve on the Soutok area by public/private or non-profit partnerships becoming more prevalent.

3.4 Threats Based on interviews and surveys, several threats in the area are defined which can either destroy or disrupt recreational facilities or services. ● Flood: The Soutok area has been flooded several times already, causing a lot of damage to properties and facilities ● Mining: Mining could destroy the scenic landscape and decrease the recreational possibilities drastically.

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Bad practice 1: Mining Activities If the mining is to continue in the area, without decreasing recreational and ecological values, it should be properly managed. From a public perception perspective and from an ecological perspective. This requires collaboration between the mining company, civil society and the government. If this does not happen, it could become a large political issue. An example of such an issue is the case of the Garzweiler open-pit mine (North Rhine Westphalia, Germany). This mine had a lot of public resistance and has been an issue since 1997. The neighbouring villages have made a lot of protest and in 2015 Dutch citizens also joined protests

 Public resistance/low interest: Another threat caused by the mining is public resistance, which could lead to a decreased number of visitors in the area and also lack of public interest will lead to mindless behaviour of visitors within the area.  Economical (local business) activities (such as the Wholesale Market and golf course) can decrease the recreational value through noise and air pollution, due to truck transportation. The golf course could limit biodiversity due to usage of fertilizer and extensive maintenance which limits space for species.  Decrease in scenic value of the area: The popularity of the area (due to a high cultural value) can increase the attractivity to live in the area, which can stimulate neighbourhood developments and decrease the amount of open space - thus decreasing the scenic value of the area.  Overcrowding: If recreational activities will be developed, there is a chance that the area will be overcrowded which decreases the cultural value.

Bad practice 2: Development leads to overcrowding The Baix Llobregat Agrarian Park (Catalonia, Spain) has many leisure activities (such as jogging, walking and cycling) and attracts thousands of metropolitan visitors on a daily basis, which puts the park under intensive pressure.

 Conflicting interest: Conflicting interest and little commitment to the project by other stakeholders can be a threat, because residents see no connection of benefits from recreation/nature towards local communities. For example, the golf course is not mainly for the people from the region. Also, the owner of Lahovičky´s lake who does not want to invest in trash bins because it will not bring him profit and residents get annoyed about this problem.

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4 SECTORAL INPUT FOR ECOSYSTEM SERVICES MANAGEMENT

Based on current development trends which have been observed during the fieldwork and associated research, four possible future developments have been identified which will influence the recreation in the Soutok area (See figure 8). It is important to mention that these developments are neither a prediction of the future, nor they are mutually exclusive.

Figure 9. Possible future developments for recreation in the Soutok area

1. Possible development - Recreation will remain the same: The provisioning and regulating services currently present in the Soutok area will increase due to expansion of wild nature. However, cultural ES will decrease due to inaccessibility of the area for recreation and educational activities. Thus, the current not well developed recreational infrastructures (leisure equipment’s, roads, cycling lanes) will become even less attractive for the people. Also threatening activities such as illegal bonfire will continue that can have negative consequences on environmental (pollution due to dumping of waste) and forest fire.

Best practices 4: More nature, less recreation In the peri-urban park Athens Hymettus (Athens, Greece), there is limited recreation as it is a nature park. The forms of recreation are hiking and rock climbing and some zones are closed off to the public to protect rare flora and fauna. The entire park is limited open to the public. But to improve the cultural ES of the park, campaigns and education programmes are developed to inform the people about the importance of these natural spaces

2. Possible development - Recreation will increase: In general, the cultural ES will increase since the area will become more accessible for a wider range of people. It will not only enhance the business opportunities in the area but also increase the commitment of municipalities to fulfil the demand of a new master plan to manage the recreational infrastructure and activities. However, the increment of recreational activities might disturb the biodiversity in the area as well as could result in an overcrowding of the area. This could in return cause public resistance.

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Sector Report: Recreation

3. Possible development - Mining will increase: The mining will drastically change the nature in the Soutok area. It will reduce biodiversity and green space that now provide fundamental regulating services. It will degrade the scenic landscape within the area resulting inevitably in even less recreational activities thus a decreased cultural value. There is also possibility of decreasing provisioning services as agricultural land of the area could be replace for mining purpose.

Best practice 5: Mining Activities The ENCI Chalk Mine (Maastricht, the Netherlands) has been in active operation since 1926 and the mining activities will be officially terminated in 2018, in total there has been almost 100 years of mining activities. The mining activity has resulted in an unique area and since 2010 the mining company, the nature conservation association and the provincial and local government have been collaborating to develop the mine into an unique nature area, with a high ecological value and room for recreation.

4. Possible development - Golf course will expand: As already mentioned, the golf course is one of the largest recreational stakeholder so there is always the possibility of expansion. If this will happen, there will be an increase of cultural ES due to more people being able to spend their free time in the facility. However, only some selected people will be able to enjoy the recreation possibility that it will provide due to cost reasons. Another consequence will be that the provisioning services will potentially decrease when agricultural land is transformed.

5 DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS The findings of this report reveal that there are conflicting issues in the Soutok area regarding recreation. These include improper quality and quantity of infrastructure such as no division of separate bike path on the roads, inaccessibility due to unmaintained (dirt) roads, as well as missing resting facilities. In addition there is noise and air pollution by activities in the wholesale market. Another issue is so called ‘self-made’ recreation by people, such as illegal bonfires that result in littering.

The reason for this issue is primarily due to improper and limited management of recreational activities. A few businesses such as the golf course or the bike rental shop offer recreational activities, but there is no overall concept for the area. Due to the fact that the area offers a scenic landscape and attractive natural features, this lack of planning results in ‘self-made’ activities by people. This behaviour shows, that the area does have a high potential for recreation which is not yet exhausted. However it also highlights the need to implement an integral management plan which combines the interest of people, environment and economy. By doing so, threats for recreation such could be transformed into an added value for recreation. A good and important example of a threat is the potential gravel mining, which could add value instead of only destructing nature for economic reasons. At present, it is not clear for people what will happen in the area and they fear the mining activities because it might reduce the recreational and ecological value. In addition, they are also annoyed by the air pollution caused by the transportation trucks, the possibility of groundwater contamination and the effect of mining on the aesthetic value of the area. After talking to experts, it

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Sector Report: Recreation became clear that it is unlikely that the mining activities will be stopped, as this decision made by the national government, which has no connection to this area.

5.1 Limitations of research The short amount of time for the fieldwork (two weeks between 6 June-11 June 2017) have only given a limited picture of the recreational activities in the Soutok area. Thus, in this report only the recreational activities during rather sunny, warm days could have been observed. Activities in different seasons or under different weather conditions are not included. To get a complete picture, further observations are needed. Additionally, the perceived value of recreational activities by the observation team might deviate from the view of local’s due to cultural differences. Data gathering, observation, interviews and surveys have shown that the development of recreation in the Soutok area do not only influence cultural ES, but also interfere with regulating and provisioning services improvement. It should therefore be kept in mind that the development of recreational activities can potentially affects all the ES and vice versa.

5.2 Recommendations Therefore, it is important to retain the sustainability dimensions (people, environment, economy) when wanting to develop recreational activities and assessing new activities accordingly. The involvement of different stakeholders (public transport, municipalities, businesses, local entrepreneurs) is necessary to develop and improve recreational infrastructure and activities. Based on these key issues identified in the area, findings through observation, interviews, surveys and literature, some recommendations were established. These should help stakeholders, especially planning authorities and municipalities to stimulate and preserve recreational activities in the Soutok area. At first, Integral management plan is highly recommended. Some interviewees commented that the gravel mining can also be used to increase the ecological and recreational value of the area through proper management. If developed right, the mining activities can give a boost to the recreation potential in the area. There is need of cooperation of several stakeholders: this management requires the cooperation of the several stakeholders involved, such as the mining company, the local community or civil society and the (local) government. It is recommendable for IPR to seek dialogue with the mining company and discuss the possibility of sustainable mining (development) with them and try to find a common ground between the various stakeholders. One of the requirements of this collaboration could be that all (deemed) relevant ES are either protected or enhanced.

6 CONCLUSION The purpose of this report was to provide an overview of all the benefits from the environment of the Soutok area with regards to the sustainability pillars (people, environment, economy) by taking into account their perceived value by local communities. The most important forms of recreation found are cycling and several sporting activities. The surveys support this observation as people listed ‘escaping to nature’ and ‘doing sports’ as the most important reasons to visit the Soutok area. Additionally, the survey showed that people value recreation as the most important activity in the area.

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Sector Report: Recreation

The aim of this is to provide information for a meaningful dialogue about potential future management interventions of recreational activities in the peri-urban park. This report has contributed to the exploration of possible ES from recreational activities in the Soutok area that might be enhanced further with the involvement of multiple stakeholders and proper management. It became evident that the area with its current recreational possibilities is highly appreciated by people from adjacent neighbourhoods, as well as other districts of Prague. This include the facilities (e.g. golf courses) or simply the scenic landscape. The environment does highly contribute to recreational possibilities by providing different ecosystem services such as regulating (e.g. air quality regulation), provisioning (e.g. fishing, harvesting products) or cultural ones (e.g. aesthetic appreciation, physical health). By considering the result of SWOT analysis, four possible situations were presented i.e. keeping constant present recreation situation, increasing recreational areas, increasing mining and expanding golf course. According to these future possibilities, the cultural ES would be increased most, if recreational facilities would be increased by for example expanding the golf course or giving incentives for more recreational businesses to develop. The allowance of gravel mining would threaten the recreation possibilities for at least a few years. However, the expansion of cultural of ES could go to the expense of other ES such as habitat or through potential pollution of the environment. Therefore proper management is needed.

The consideration of examples of best and bad practices of different European peri-urban parks have given new insights into management practices which might shift the perception of different activities such as the gravel mining (Chapter 3 & 4). It showed that even activities which are not wanted by a broader public could still be transformed to have an added value for recreation if properly managed. In contrast to that, best practice underlined the need for an integration of nature and recreation by increasing the quantity and quality of recreational facilities.

Concluding, the main finding of the research is that regardless of how exactly the recreation activities will be managed in the future, proper integrated management (including different stakeholders like municipalities, businesses and locals) is essential to maintain a balance between the three dimensions of sustainability (nature, environment, economy).

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Sector Report: Recreation

7 REFERENCES Ap, J. (1986). Recreation trends and implications for government. Work, Leisure and Technology. Melbourne, Longman Cheshire, 167-83.

European Union, (a.n.d.), Periurban Parks - Improving Environmental Conditions in Suburban Areas

Hernandez, L. (2014). An explanatory and comparative analysis of freight transportation in EU and US highways. The University of Texas at El Paso.

Pleasant, M. M., Gray, S. A., Lepczyk, C., Fernandes, A., Hunter, N., & Ford, D. (2014). Managing cultural ecosystem services. Ecosystem Services, 8, 141-147.

Smith, N., Deal, R., Kline, J., Blahna, D., Patterson, T., Spies, T., & Bennett, K. (2011). Ecosystem services as a framework for forest stewardship: Deschutes National Forest overview. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW- GTR-852. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station

Sýkora, L., & Ourednek, M. (2007). Sprawling post-communist metropolis: Commercial and residential suburbanization in Prague and Brno, the Czech Republic. In Employment Deconcentration in European Metropolitan Areas (pp. 209-233). Springer Netherlands.

Sýkora, L., &Štěpánek, V. (1992). Prague. Cities, 9(2), 91-100.

VÁGNER, J. (2002). Second Housing at the Edge of Prague Metropolitan Area: a SWOT Analysis. Acta Universitatis Carolinae. Geographica, 37, 175-183.

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