Dynamic effect of sports parks on housing prices: Evidence from Hangzhou Asian Games Park

    Haizhen Wen Info
    Fangziyi Huang Info
    Shuyuan Li Info
    Eddie C. M. Hui Info
    Ling Zhang Info
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3846/ijspm.2025.24813

Abstract

The construction of sports parks often involves significant investment and extended development timelines, making it crucial to evaluate their economic impacts for informed policymaking and strategic urban planning. While research on the externalities of urban parks has grown, the specific economic effects of sports parks remain underexplored. This study examines the impact of the Hangzhou Asian Games Park on housing prices using 31,329 transaction records from 2018 to 2023. Employing a hedonic pricing model and a difference-in-differences approach, we find that housing prices increase by 1.6% for every 1 km reduction in distance to the park. Spatial heterogeneity is observable, as the effect diminishes with increasing distance. Temporally, the park’s planning announcement triggered a 0.7% increase in price-distance elasticity, compared to a 0.2% increase after its opening. These findings suggest that the anticipatory market response was stronger than the realized benefits after the park’s completion. This study quantifies the spatial and temporal dynamics of the economic value of sports parks, providing valuable insights for urban planning, public policy, and investment strategies.

Keywords:

sports parks, housing prices, hedonic pricing, spatial heterogeneity, temporal dynamics, Hangzhou Asian Games Park

How to Cite

Wen, H., Huang, F., Li, S., Hui, E. C. M., & Zhang, L. (2025). Dynamic effect of sports parks on housing prices: Evidence from Hangzhou Asian Games Park. International Journal of Strategic Property Management, 29(5), 316–328. https://doi.org/10.3846/ijspm.2025.24813

Share

Published in Issue
October 16, 2025
Abstract Views
39

References

Ahlfeldt, G. M., & Kavetsos, G. (2014). Form or function? The effect of new sports stadia on property prices in London. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A: Statistics in Society, 177(1), 169–190. https://doi.org/10.1111/rssa.12006

Ahlfeldt, G. M., & Maennig, W. (2010). Impact of sports arenas on land values: Evidence from Berlin. The Annals of Regional Science, 44(2), 205–227. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00168-008-0249-4

Ardeshiri, A., Ardeshiri, M., Radfar, M., & Hamidian Shormasty, O. (2016). The values and benefits of environmental elements on housing rents. Habitat International, 55, 67–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2016.02.004

Bertrand, M., Duflo, E., & Mullainathan, S. (2004). How much should we trust differences-in-differences estimates? The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 119(1), 249–275. https://doi.org/10.1162/003355304772839588

Brown, G., Schebella, M. F., & Weber, D. (2014). Using participatory GIS to measure physical activity and urban park benefits. Landscape and Urban Planning, 121, 34–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2013.09.006

Chen, S., Zhang, L., Huang, Y., Wilson, B., Mosey, G., & Deal, B. (2022). Spatial impacts of multimodal accessibility to green spaces on housing price in Cook County, Illinois. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 67, Article 127370. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2021.127370

Chiesura, A. (2004). The role of urban parks for the sustainability of cities. Landscape and Urban Planning, 68(1), 129–138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2003.08.003

Correll, M. R., Lillydahl, J. H., & Singell, L. D. (1978). The effects of greenbelts on residential property values: Some findings on the political economy of open space. Land Economics, 54(2), Article 207. https://doi.org/10.2307/3146234

Crompton, J. L. (2001). The impact of parks on property values: A review of the empirical evidence. Journal of Leisure Research, 33(1), 1–31. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222216.2001.11949928

Czembrowski, P., & Kronenberg, J. (2016). Hedonic pricing and different urban green space types and sizes: Insights into the discussion on valuing ecosystem services. Landscape and Urban Planning, 146, 11–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2015.10.005

Dadvand, P., Bartoll, X., Basagaña, X., Dalmau-Bueno, A., Martinez, D., Ambros, A., Cirach, M., Triguero-Mas, M., Gascon, M., Borrell, C., & Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J. (2016). Green spaces and general health: Roles of mental health status, social support, and physical activity. Environment International, 91, 161–167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2016.02.029

Darling, A. H. (1973). Measuring benefits generated by urban water parks. Land Economics, 49(1), Article 22. https://doi.org/10.2307/3145326

Dell’Anna, F., Bravi, M., & Bottero, M. (2022). Urban Green infrastructures: How much did they affect property prices in Singapore? Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 68, Article 127475. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2022.127475

Du, X., & Huang, Z. (2018). Spatial and temporal effects of urban wetlands on housing prices: Evidence from Hangzhou, China. Land Use Policy, 73, 290–298. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2018.02.011

Engström, G., & Gren, A. (2017). Capturing the value of green space in urban parks in a sustainable urban planning and design context: Pros and cons of hedonic pricing. Ecology and Society, 22(2), Article 21. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-09365-220221

Feng, X., & Humphreys, B. (2018). Assessing the economic impact of sports facilities on residential property values: A spatial hedonic approach. Journal of Sports Economics, 19(2), 188–210. https://doi.org/10.1177/1527002515622318

Feng, X., & Humphreys, B. R. (2012). The impact of professional sports facilities on housing values: Evidence from census block group data. City, Culture and Society, 3(3), 189–200. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccs.2012.06.017

Freeman III, A. M., Herriges, J. A., & Kling, C. L. (2014). The measurement of environmental and resource values: Theory and methods. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315780917

Gonzalez, R., & Komisarow, S. (2020). Community monitoring and crime: Evidence from Chicago’s Safe Passage Program. Journal of Public Economics, 191, Article 104250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2020.104250

Halvorsen, R., & Palmquist, R. (1980). The interpretation of dummy variables in semilogarithmic equations. American Economic Review, 70(3), 474–475.

Humphreys, B. R., & Nowak, A. (2017). Professional sports facilities, teams and property values: Evidence from NBA team departures. Regional Science and Urban Economics, 66, 39–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.regsciurbeco.2017.06.001

Hur, C. H., & Kim, K. (2023). The anticipated legacies of mega sporting events: An econometric analysis of Olympic announcement effect on the real estate market in small communities. Applied Economics, 55(8), 823–838. https://doi.org/10.1080/00036846.2022.2118223

Hyun, D. (2022). Proud of, but too close: The negative externalities of a new sports stadium in an urban residential area. The Annals of Regional Science, 68(3), 615–633. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00168-021-01095-6

Iqbal, A., & Wilhelmsson, M. (2018). Park proximity, crime and apartment prices. International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis, 11(4), 669–686. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJHMA-04-2017-0035

Jiao, L., & Liu, Y. (2010). Geographic field model based hedonic valuation of urban open spaces in Wuhan, China. Landscape and Urban Planning, 98(1), 47–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2010.07.009

Jim, C. Y., & Chen, W. Y. (2006). Impacts of urban environmental elements on residential housing prices in Guangzhou (China). Landscape and Urban Planning, 78(4), 422–434. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2005.12.003

Jim, C. Y., & Chen, W. Y. (2010). External effects of neighbourhood parks and landscape elements on high-rise residential value. Land Use Policy, 27(2), 662–670. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2009.08.027

Kavetsos, G. (2012). The impact of the London Olympics announcement on property prices. Urban Studies, 49(7), 1453–1470. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042098011415436

Keeler, Z. T., Stephens, H. M., & Humphreys, B. R. (2021). The amenity value of sports facilities: Evidence from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Journal of Sports Economics, 22(7), 799–822. https://doi.org/10.1177/15270025211018258

Kim, G., & Coseo, P. (2018). Urban park systems to support sustainability: The role of urban park systems in hot arid urban climates. Forests, 9(7), Article 439. https://doi.org/10.3390/f9070439

Kim, H.-S., Lee, G.-E., Lee, J.-S., & Choi, Y. (2019). Understanding the local impact of urban park plans and park typology on housing price: A case study of the Busan metropolitan region, Korea. Landscape and Urban Planning, 184, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2018.12.007

Kitchen, J. W., & Hendon, W. S. (1967). Land values adjacent to an urban neighborhood park. Land Economics, 43(3), 357. https://doi.org/10.2307/3145164

Kou, R., Hunter, R. F., Cleland, C., & Ellis, G. (2021). Physical environmental factors influencing older adults’ park use: A qualitative study. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 65, Article 127353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2021.127353

Lancaster, K. J. (1966). A new approach to consumer theory. Journal of Political Economy, 74(2), 132–157. https://doi.org/10.1086/259131

Li, H., Wei, Y. D., Wu, Y., & Tian, G. (2019). Analyzing housing prices in Shanghai with open data: Amenity, accessibility and urban structure. Cities, 91, 165–179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2018.11.016

Li, S. (2020). An analysis of the value of sports park construction based on the concept of ocean ecological environment. Journal of Coastal Research, 104, 921–924. https://doi.org/10.2112/JCR-SI104-159.1

Liang, X., Liu, Y., Qiu, T., Jing, Y., & Fang, F. (2018). The effects of locational factors on the housing prices of residential communities: The case of Ningbo, China. Habitat International, 81, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2018.09.004

Luo, R., & Wang, J. (2022). Interactive landscape design and application effect evaluation of community sports park by wireless communication technology. Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing, 2022, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/9334823

Luttik, J. (2000). The value of trees, water and open space as reflected by house prices in the Netherlands. Landscape and Urban Planning, 48, 161–167. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-2046(00)00039-6

More, T. A., Stevens, T., & Allen, P. G. (1988). Valuation of urban parks. Landscape and Urban Planning, 15(1–2), 139–152. https://doi.org/10.1016/0169-2046(88)90022-9

Mueller, J. M., Loomis, J. B., Richardson, L., & Fitch, R. A. (2022). Valuing impacts of proximity to Saguaro National Park on house prices. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, 44(3), 1359–1372. https://doi.org/10.1002/aepp.13196

Panduro, T. E., Jensen, C. U., Lundhede, T. H., Von Graevenitz, K., & Thorsen, B. J. (2018). Eliciting preferences for urban parks. Regional Science and Urban Economics, 73, 127–142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.regsciurbeco.2018.09.001

Peters, K., Elands, B., & Buijs, A. (2010). Social interactions in urban parks: Stimulating social cohesion? Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 9(2), 93–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2009.11.003

Piaggio, M. (2021). The value of public urban green spaces: Measuring the effects of proximity to and size of urban green spaces on housing market values in San José, Costa Rica. Land Use Policy, 109, Article 105656. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2021.105656

Propheter, G. (2023). Sports facilities as a housing amenity: Do prices follow facilities? Journal of Sports Economics, 24(4), 443–474. https://doi.org/10.1177/15270025221132221

Rosen, S. (1974). Hedonic prices and implicit markets: Product differentiation in pure competition. Journal of Political Economy, 82(1), 34–55. https://doi.org/10.1086/260169

Sun, Y., Tan, S., He, Q., & Shen, J. (2022). Influence mechanisms of community sports parks to enhance social interaction: A Bayesian belief network analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(3), Article 1466. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031466

Tu, C. C. (2005). How does a new sports stadium affect housing values? The case of FedEx field. Land Economics, 81(3), 379–395. https://doi.org/10.3368/le.81.3.379

Tyrväinen, L., & Miettinen, A. (2000). Property prices and urban forest amenities. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 39(2), 205–223. https://doi.org/10.1006/jeem.1999.1097

Vom Hofe, R., Mihaescu, O., & Boorn, M. L. (2018). Are homeowners willing to pay more for access to parks? Evidence from a spatial hedonic study of the Cincinnati, Ohio, USA park system. Journal of Regional Analysis & Policy, 48(3), 66–82.

Weigher, J. C., & Zerbst, R. H. (1973). The Externalities of neighborhood parks: An empirical investigation. Land Economics, 49(1), Article 99. https://doi.org/10.2307/3145337

Wen, H., Li, S., Hui, E. C. M., Xiao, Y., & Liu, H. (2022). Externality impacts of “Not in My Backyard” facilities on property values: Evidence from the Hangzhou waste sorting and reduction complex projects. Habitat International, 125, Article 102583. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2022.102583

Wen, H., Xiao, Y., Hui, E. C. M., & Zhang, L. (2018). Education quality, accessibility, and housing price: Does spatial heterogeneity exist in education capitalization? Habitat International, 78, 68–82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2018.05.012

Wen, H., Zhang, Y., & Zhang, L. (2015). Assessing amenity effects of urban landscapes on housing price in Hangzhou, China. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 14(4), 1017–1026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2015.09.013

Wu, S.-M., & Deng, Y. (2024). Typological differentiation and time-series effects of urban renewal on housing prices. Cities, 145, Article 104668. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2023.104668

Wu, X., & Li, X. (2022). Post-occupancy evaluation of sports parks during the COVID-19 pandemic: Taking sports parks in Beijing as examples. Buildings, 12(12), Article 2250. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12122250

Xiao, Y., Hui, E. C. M., & Wen, H. (2019). Effects of floor level and landscape proximity on housing price: A hedonic analysis in Hangzhou, China. Habitat International, 87, 11–26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2019.03.008

Yamawaki, Y., & Duarte, F. (2014). Olympics and urban legacy in Sydney: Urban transformations and real estate a decade after the games. Journal of Urban Design, 19(4), 511–540. https://doi.org/10.1080/13574809.2014.923745

Yan, H., Wu, F., & Dong, L. (2018). Influence of a large urban park on the local urban thermal environment. Science of the Total Environment, 622–623, 882–891. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.11.327

Yang, L., Wang, B., Zhou, J., & Wang, X. (2018). Walking accessibility and property prices. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 62, 551–562. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2018.04.001

Yuan, F., Wei, Y. D., & Wu, J. (2020). Amenity effects of urban facilities on housing prices in China: Accessibility, scarcity, and urban spaces. Cities, 96, Article 102433. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2019.102433

Zhang, L., Zhou, T., & Mao, C. (2019). Does the difference in urban public facility allocation cause spatial inequality in housing prices? Evidence from Chongqing, China. Sustainability, 11(21), Article 6096. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11216096

Zhang, Y., Zhang, T., Zeng, Y., Yu, C., & Zheng, S. (2021a). The rising and heterogeneous demand for urban green space by Chinese urban residents: Evidence from Beijing. Journal of Cleaner Production, 313, Article 127781. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.127781

Zhang, Z., Wang, M., Xu, Z., Ye, Y., Chen, S., Pan, Y., & Chen, J. (2021b). The influence of Community Sports Parks on residents’ subjective well-being: A case study of Zhuhai City, China. Habitat International, 117, Article 102439. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2021.102439

View article in other formats

CrossMark check

CrossMark logo

Published

2025-10-16

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Wen, H., Huang, F., Li, S., Hui, E. C. M., & Zhang, L. (2025). Dynamic effect of sports parks on housing prices: Evidence from Hangzhou Asian Games Park. International Journal of Strategic Property Management, 29(5), 316–328. https://doi.org/10.3846/ijspm.2025.24813

Share