Satisfaction with Cultural Facilities in European Cities: The Role of Income, Overtourism and Congestion Effects

Culture is a constitutive part of urban life quality and a crucial urban policy dimension. Most of European cultural heritage is concentrated in cities. European cities differ substantially with regard to how well residents are satisfied with cultural facilities. Research purpose. The purpose of this research is to find which city characteristics are linked to higher or lower satisfaction with cultural facilities across European cities. In particular, the study explores the relationship between the perceived quality of cultural facilities and income level, tourist inflows and local congestion effects (measured as population density and traffic congestion), while controlling for the city size, capital city status and the overall urban life satisfaction. Design / Methodology / Approach. Satisfaction with cultural facilities is based on the European Commission survey data on the quality of urban life in 83 European cities. Respondents assess perceived quality of cultural facilities (museums, theatres, concert halls and libraries) on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from “not at all satisfied” to “very satisfied.” This article calculates the balance of replies to the respective question, ranks European cities according to the perceived quality of cultural facilities, and then employs a multifactor regression analysis to check the relationship between satisfaction with cultural facilities and different city characteristics. Findings. The findings indicate that residents of Zurich, Vienna, and Groningen are the most satisfied with cultural facilities in their cities, while those in Tirana, Valletta, and Skopje are the least satisfied. Satisfaction with cultural facilities is positively associated with income level, overall satisfaction with urban life, as well as with the actual per capita number of cultural facilities in a given city. In turn, large tourist inflows, high population density and traffic congestion decrease satisfaction with cultural facilities. Residents of the European capital cities tend to be less satisfied with cultural facilities, even after controlling for city size, overtourism and local congestion effects. Originality / Value / Practical implications. This study offers several contributions. First, it utilises the most recent wave (2023) of the European Commission survey on the quality of life in European cities and focuses on satisfaction with cultural facilities, while outlining the role of culture in urban economic development and general well-being. Second, it formally shows how tourist inflows and local congestion effects decrease satisfaction with cultural facilities in several European cities. Third, it highlights that the perceived quality of cultural facilities is lower in the capital cities, even after controlling for the actual per capita number of cultural facilities, tourist inflows and local congestion effects. These findings can provide insights for policymakers seeking to enhance the efficient use of cultural infrastructure and improve satisfaction with cultural life across Europe.