Monetary Valuation of Urban Forest Attributes in Highly Developed Urban Environments: An Experimental Study Using a Conjoint Choice Model

Abstract

Abstract:It is important to integrate user preferences and demands into the design, planning, and management of urban forests. This is particularly important in highly urbanized areas where land is extremely limited. Based on a survey with 600 participants selected by quota sampling in Seoul, Korea, we developed a conjoint choice model for determining the preferences of urban dwellers on urban forest attributes, the levels of attributes, and the preferences for particular attributes. Then, the preferences were transformed into monetary values. The results indicated that urban dwellers preferred broadleaved forests over coniferous forests, soil-type pavement materials over porous elastic pavement materials on trails, and relatively flat trails over trails with steep slopes. The model indicated that participants were willing to pay an additional 11.42 USD to change coniferous forest to broadleaved forest, 15.09 USD to alter porous elastic pavement materials on trails to soil-type pavement materials on trails, and 23.8 USD to modify steeply sloping trails to relatively flat trails. As previously reported, considerable distance decay effects have been observed in the user preferences for urban forests. We also found a significant difference in the amount of the mean marginal willingness to pay among sociodemographic subgroups. In particular, there were significant positive responses from the male group to changes in urban forest attributes and their levels in terms of their willingness to pay additional funds. By contrast, the elderly group had the opposite response. In this study, we were not able to integrate locality and spatial variation in user preferences for urban forests derived from locational characteristics. In future studies, the role of limiting factors in user preferences for urban forests and their attributes should be considered.

Impact of Frequency of Visits and Time Spent in Urban Green Space on Subjective Well-Being

“…To acquire such specific information of UGS attributes, the conjoint choice model may be beneficial because it is able to make direct predictions on choices of respondents in the form of a logit model by calculating the part-worth of attribute levels obtained from choice-type data [144]. For example, Hong et al [97] found that the primary salient attributes affecting whether people visit urban forests were forest type, paving material of trail, topography, and travel time from home. At the same time, they were able to specify attribute levels for each forest attribute preferred by forest visitors.…”

“…Particularly, it is an urgent issue for highly urbanized regions and countries. For example, in Korea, where approximately 90% of the population resides in urbanized areas, the Korean government and local authorities have been continuously trying to provide more urban green spaces for years to meet the increasing demand [95][96][97].…”

Visiting the Forest with Kindergarten Children: Forest Suitability

“…Most of the studies show preference for mixed forest but then deciduous forest usually takes precedence over coniferous. Hong et al [48] and Abildtrup et al [21] have determined a significant preference for broadleaved and mixed forests over coniferous forests among the urban population of Seoul (Korea) and France. In the study review by Ciesielski and Stereńczak [24], central Europeans expressed preference for mixed forests with a higher share of coniferous trees.…”

Spatial Distributions of Carbon Storage and Uptake of Urban Forests in Seoul, South Korea

“…(6) Urban forests also provide various ecosystem services such as microclimate improvement, atmospheric cleanup, (7) energy saving, (8) rainwater collection and storage, the improvement of biological diversification, (9) and the enhancement of soil fertilization; (10) ecological benefits such as noise reduction, landscape beauty and amenity, and recreation and learning; (11) esthetic/welfare benefits such as health improvement; (12) and socioeconomic benefits such as real estate and property value increase. (13) The ecosystem service that is extremely important for our lives is carbon storage and uptake by vegetation; this plays a particularly important role in the alleviation of climate change, the severity of which has been realized only in recent decades. (14,15) Climate change has come to the fore as the most serious environmental issue globally.…”