It’s ok to be wilder: Preference for natural growth in urban green spaces in a tropical city

Abstract

Urban green spaces (UGS) have the potential to aid in the restoration of ecosystem services and biodiversity in cities, but this function is often diluted because ecological processes are ignored in favour of ‘tidiness’. While the general public is not fond of unkempt greenery, a less-manicured UGS that balances the spontaneous growth of plants and maintenance regimes may be accepted. The paper describes a study exploring accepted degrees of UGS wildness, specifically areas that are currently mown lawns. In the study, a photo elicitation survey administered two sets of photos to two groups of respondents, 663 members of the general population and an additional 48 members of nature/environmental interest groups. The survey assessed perceptions of managed greenery, with three different degrees of growth of lawns in four contexts and six types of landscape elements in wilder lawns. The study found the preferred level of wildness of UGS varied depending on the context, people were generally not against moderately wilder UGS. The utilitarian aspect of landscape was a primary factor in the preference for less-manicured lawns, and aesthetics were a secondary factor. Also, general population characteristics did not consistently predict preference for any vegetation growth condition, and landscape elements differentially affected the degree of preference for wilder lawns. The article concludes by discussing the practical consequences of these findings for the inclusion of wilder UGS in design and management.