The right of public access in Sweden

Increasing demand for recreational activities puts pressure on land use. It is highly likely that recreational sites still freely available to the public are in danger of overuse. This issue is addressed in economic theory by offering different regulation instruments such as charging and/or exclusion to limit use. This paper presents ''Allemansratt'' as an alternative way of opening private land for recreational use. Original motives for the rise of this usufructuary right and the conditions that have secured its survival are discussed, and the needs for institutional changes are examined. The study reveals that future management and public policy may have to be altered in view of the changing circumstances. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.