The spatial dimensions of cultural consumption: how distance influences consumption levels in a spatial setting

Abstract Cultural consumption has increasingly acquired a fundamental role in urban policy frameworks, thanks to its empirically proven positive effects on individuals and on societies. Although several theoretical and empirical contributions have examined the main socio-economic determinants that explain cultural consumption; its spatial dimensions remain significantly under-considered and require further analysis. The aim of this paper is to analyse the factors influencing cultural consumption with a focus on spatial distance and spatial dependence. Specifically, it seeks to inquire into the extent to which spatial distance between consumers and cultural institutions plays a role in neighbourhood’s levels of cultural consumption. To do this, human mobility data towards cultural institutions are used as a proxy for individual cultural consumption levels in six French cities. Results show that spatial proximity with the cultural offer matters in explaining consumption patterns, but that traditional socioeconomic determinants have a higher explanatory value.