Attitudes toward policies to protect open space: A comparative study of government planning officials and the general public

Abstract

The goals of this research were to identify factors that influence local decisions to protect open spaces and the associated natural resources and to better understand the context in which local government officials and citizens express support for additional policies to protect these resources. In order to determine community opinions related to land use and natural resources, a mail survey was administered to a random sample of adult residents and all local planning commission officials in the 22 counties in Indiana's Upper Wabash River Basin. A comparative analysis was done to determine the relationship between attitudes of citizens and planning officials and how this can inform policy. This information can aid in determining public willingness to incorporate natural resources into land use plans as it compares to local government official's willingness to protect natural resources and open spaces. Results of this research will assist communities as they cope with balancing issues of community growth, environmental protection, and quality of life.

Characterizing the inequalities in urban public green space provision in Shenzhen, China

“…In most cases, the PGSs are not evenly distributed in space within the urban cities (Barbosa et al, 2007;Ernstson, 2013;McConnachie & Shackleton, 2010). The scientific community raises the concern about the social inequalities in PGSs provision, since the urban residents and communities do not enjoy equal opportunity in PGSs accessibility and usage (Broussard, Washington-Ottombre, & Miller, 2008;Davis et al, 2012;Kabisch & Haase, 2014;Wright Wendel, Zarger, & Mihelcic, 2012).…”

Public green space inequality in small towns in South Africa

“…Revealing and communicating such inequities can prompt better planning processes and environmental justice. This is necessary as planning officials may not have the same perspectives on the abundance, distribution and quality of public green space as do residents of the same urban area (Broussard, Washington-Ottombre, & Miller, 2008).…”

The use of economic valuation to create public support for green infrastructure investments in urban areas

“…In the case of green infrastructure, the study shows to stakeholders that investing in green infrastructure does not only contribute to the environment but that it also creates direct and indirect positive effects for the region as a whole. Thereby greater public support can be created for policy actions (Broussard, Washington-Ottombre, & Miller, 2008). In the case at hand, the Flemish Land Agency has spread the results of the study to the public and have used them as a pilot study for a major conference held in the centre of Bruges in 2010.…”

“…This model can be the basis for a well motivated analysis that can convince critical stakeholders and can create more public willingness to accept incorporation of green infrastructure, or other natural resources, into land use plans. The model can help policy makers to balance issues of community growth, environmental protection and quality of life (Broussard et al, 2008). Moreover, it may reveal unexpected or not straightforward economic benefits.…”