The relationship between leisure resource information and regional well-being: a GIS approach

There is a positive link between leisure activities and quality of life. Measurement approaches are divided into person- vs. place- centered and subjective vs. objective dimensions. The contribution of person- centered attributes is beyond controversy. This article offers a novel operationalization to fill the gap in the less investigated objective place‑ centered dimension. Eating and drinking points of interest used for mobile devices are projected onto a map, making use of geographical information systems. The resulting densities in the surroundings of ten different regions are interlinked with subjective evaluations based on questionnaires completed by inhabitants of these regions. This relationship validates the usability of the objective service density metric and identifies the geographical size of the inhabitants’ surroundings considered relevant for eating and drinking purposes.