Planning for recreation along the opportunity spectrum: The case of Oslo, Norway

Land management policies, which emphasize timber production and biodiversity conservation may neglect other important services that these landscapes provide, such as the recreational opportunities that are particularly important in urban forests and woodlands. The quality of recreational opportunities in forested lands is largely dictated by the degree of human influence on the landscape, including forestry, recreational facilities, infrastructure and other man-made constructions. We present a four-part conceptual model based on the recreation opportunity spectrum framework, and tested it by using survey data and automatic counters in urban forests of Oslomarka in Norway. We find empirical support for the four-part planning concept. The pragmatic model may inspire forest landowners, land managers and planners to envision potential contributions to recreational opportunities by identifying four broad categories of suitability for recreational activities labelled: general consideration-, special consideration-, service- and wilderness areas. The conceptual framework can be used as a tool to plan and manage for recreational opportunities at different spatial scales.