Social cost-benefit analysis of the improving of urban recreation facilities: The case of Iskenderun-Arsuz-Payas urban area

Facilities for public recreation are having an increasing impact on physical and social life. The overvaluation of urban lands raises economic concerns in rapidly expanding cities. Therefore, in this study, it is aimed to reveal the social costs and benefits of the development of recreational facilities in the urban area of Iskenderun-Arsuz-Payas. Although public recreation facilities are a broad concept, these facilities are limited to active open-green spaces and cultural areas in the research, based on the current conditions and concepts in the development legislation. In the social benefit estimation, the present and future use values of recreation areas were taken as the basis, and for this purpose, a survey was conducted with 309 households. Within the scope of the survey, the monetary values spent for participation in recreational activities and the monetary values willing to pay (WTP) for the development of areas were questioned. Initial facility costs were taken into account in cost calculations. The total benefit was calculated as 1.956.310.884 TL, the total cost was 418.414.364 TL, and the social benefit-cost ratio was calculated as 1:4.67. The results show that the users will bear the cost of the benefit they will gain from an urban environment with qualified recreational areas. It is thought that the results of the study will shed light on the professional disciplines that play an active role in the planning of public open-green spaces and cultural spaces and the decision-makers in local governments.