Willingness to Pay for Urban and Suburban Green

Dimitrios Kalfas,Efstratios Loizou,Katerina Melfou,Fotios Chatzitheodoridis

doi:10.3390/su14042332

Abstract

Peri-urban and urban green are considered among the basic priorities of the local government’s regional policy agenda, in line with the principles of spatial planning. This agenda is promoted at both the national and European levels through a variety of technical and institutional measures. Green spaces in urban and suburban areas are directly linked to the quality of life of urban residents and their environment. In this context, the purpose of this study is to investigate and identify the characteristics and factors that influence the residents of a small Greek city in terms of the value they attach to urban and suburban green spaces. These factors are identified through the residents’ willingness to pay (WTP) using the contingent valuation method (CVM). In general, the analysis aims to document the value of environmental economic methods as a tool in the management of natural heritage. According to the research, income and knowledge of environmental issues (global and local) as well as the benefits of green spaces (urban and suburban) are the key factors that drive residents to place a higher value on them. Future work may explore whether or how the COVID-19 pandemic affected city residents’ willingness to pay for green spaces.

Highlights

The main purpose of this study is to explore the impact that specific parametric variables have on the willingness to pay (WTP) of the residents of Florina for the use of urban and suburban green spaces in the city
Based on the results, for each unit increase in the income scale of the respondent the probability of the respondent being willing to give money for suburban green space development increases by 68.2%
It appears that people who believe that the benefits they derive from green spaces (Benef) are greater, are willing to pay higher amounts than those who do not

Summary

Introduction

Together with its infrastructure, contributes to the upgrading and enhancement of the role of the neighborhood and, more broadly, to the strengthening of the social cohesion of the city. High-quality urban green areas located around the built urban environment can affect housing costs, as property prices near such areas usually increase [1,2]. Urban green spaces provide many ecosystem services that could help combat many urban problems and contribute to improving the quality of life of residents, including their health [3,4,5,6,7]. Green spaces near or within the urban fabric provide residents with the opportunity to keep in touch with nature, exercise and engage in mild sports activities. Among the factors that support the use of green spaces are the feelings of safety on the part of those who use them, as well as their high aesthetic standards [10]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion