Estimating the effect of regional nature parks in France
Estimer l'effet des parcs naturels régionaux en France
Résumé
Amenities and their management are central to rural sustainable development issues. In France, Regional Nature Parks (RNPs) have been created to protect and promote rural regions whose natural areas and cultural heritage are of significant quality but potentially threatened. RNPs pursue sustainable development objectives by acting on natural and cultural heritage protection as well as socioeconomic development. However, currently there is no evaluation of RNPs, hence the following research question: to what extent does an amenity management mode, i.e. a Regional Nature Park, contribute to the development of the region it defines? This is fundamentally a policy evaluation question. Units of analysis are French municipalities (communes) and the RNPs of interest are located in two administrative (NUTS 2) regions: Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes. The method is partly based on Isserman and Rephann's (1995) method of quasi-experimental control groups they used to evaluate the Appalachian Regional Commission. A central hypothesis of the method is the existence of twin communes located outside the RNP that are similar to the RNP communes. Then, the method consists in 1) selecting indicators for both matching units of analysis and evaluating the public policy, 2) matching units of analysis (within vs. outside the RNP), and 3) analyzing data for RNP vs. matched communes. Indicators for matching include, among others, spatial structure and amenity measures. Indicators of policy impact include, among others, population, employment and income. The main result is that RNPs seem to have an effect on local economies, particularly with respect to tourism activity.