Residential open space and the perception of health benefits: How much is the public willing to pay?

Abstract

Emerging evidence suggests that residential open space (ROS) is beneficial for multiple health outcomes for urban residents. However, the general public's understanding of and demand for the health benefits related to ROS have not been widely explored. This study aims to examine the impact of residents' socioeconomic status and perceptions of landscape health benefits on their willingness to pay (WTP) for ROS and to evaluate the perceived monetary value of different residential landscape elements. An online survey with 1348 respondents was conducted between August 2020 and October 2021 in China using a contingent valuation (CV) method. Respondents perceived the landscape benefits related to mental health to be higher than those related to physical and social health. The perception of landscape health benefits positively affected WTP and the WTP value of ROS. Residents' monthly income was a significant influencing factor for WTP and the latter's value. For individuals with positive WTP, the average annual WTP for ROS was CNY 68.98 (USD 10.81), while for all the respondents, the estimated mean annual WTP for ROS was CNY 91.75 (USD 14.38). Moreover, the estimated WTP for plants was the highest, whereas the WTP for activity spaces was estimated as the lowest. These findings may improve city planners' and community managers' understanding of the perceived value of residential landscapes among the public and help them make effective decisions to build healthy communities.