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Abstract
In this article, we introduce a recreational amenity—a greenbelt park—into a simple urban
economic model. For multiple possible park placements, we solve for the associated equilibrium
urban structure, including the equilibrium rent gradient, city boundary, total number of
park visits, the overall utility level, and total vehicle miles traveled. We examine how these
change with alternative park placement sites. We then show how two modifications of the basic
model—allowing congestion at the site to affect site quality, and introducing the possibility
of a substitute site at the city’s periphery—affect our conclusions about how greenbelt location
influences urban structure.