Abstract

Low-emission zones, congestion charges and pedestrian areas have the potential to improve urban air quality. However, the lack of public and political support for these policies is often a significant obstacle to their introduction. In this article, we present the results of two studies. First, we investigated the public acceptability of three policies to reduce urban air pollution: pedestrianization, low emission zones and congestion charges. Second, based on an experimental online survey, we examined the effect of various framing conditions on the acceptability of congestion charges. The results show, first, that public acceptability is higher for pedestrianization and low emission zones and lower for congestion charging. Second, we find a positive effect on acceptability of information emphasizing the benefits of congestion charges and of positive labelling, comparing the wording “environmental contribution” with “urban toll”; and a negative effect of making political ideology prominent. Our findings suggest that while some interventions aimed at mitigating urban air pollution may be more readily supported than others, their acceptability can be enhanced (or diminished) through careful design and effective communication.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.