Reading the Green Landscape: Public Attitudes toward Green Stormwater Infrastructure and the Perceived Nonmonetary Value of Its Co-Benefits in Three US Cities

Spahr, K.; Smith, Jessica M.; McCray, J. E.; Hogue, T. S.

doi:10.1061/jswbay.0000963

Cited by 13 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…Importantly, communicating care and function is not simply a matter of identifying a suite of NTS design features to target or a choice education/outreach strategy to implement. Situational context must also be considered because 'the public' really represents a heterogeneous collective with various social, cultural and personal characteristics that influence perceptions in ways that are not always well captured in studies of NTS (Basnou et al, 2020;Gobster et al, 2007;Spahr et al, 2021;Venkataramanan et al, 2020). In this study several demographic variables (race, country of origin and gender) were found to influence landscape perceptions, particularly perceptions about which services/disservices each landscape could provide (Model 2, Figure 8b), demonstrating the importance of human situational context even within our relatively narrow engineering demographic.…”

Section: Demographics and Perceptions-the Importance Of Situational C...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceived services and disservices of natural treatment systems for urban stormwater: Insight from the next generation of designers

et al. 2022

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Natural treatment systems (NTS) for stormwater have the potential to provide a myriad of ecosystem services to society. Realizing this potential requires active collaboration among engineers, ecologists and landscape planners and begins with a paradigm shift in communication whereby these groups are made aware of each other's perceptions about NTS and the presence of knowledge gaps that their respective disciplines can bridge. Here we participate in the first part of what we hope will be a reciprocal exchange: presenting results from a landscape perceptions survey to urban planners, ecologists and landscape architects that illustrates how the next generation of engineers perceives NTS relative to other landscape features, and the implications of those perceptions for future infrastructure development. Our results suggest that although lawns, gardens and native ecosystems were perceived as multifunctional, providing characteristic bundles of services/disservices, perceptions of NTS were more variable (i.e. there was no social norm for their perception). Environmental worldviews, knowledge, attitudes about ecosystem services and demographics were all significant drivers of perceived services. However, students had difficulty identifying NTS correctly, and factual knowledge about NTS did not help students associate NTS with typical design services like flood reduction more than features not designed for those purposes, such as lawns. This suggests that engineering students lack familiarity with the outward appearance of NTS and have difficulty placing NTS services into a broader landscape context. Expertise from urban planning and ecology could help bridge these knowledge gaps, improving the capacity of tomorrow's engineers to co‐design NTS to meet diverse community needs. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

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Section: Demographics and Perceptions-the Importance Of Situational C...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceived services and disservices of natural treatment systems for urban stormwater: Insight from the next generation of designers

et al. 2022

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“…It is important to ensure greater effectiveness and less resistance during implementation (Alves, Gersonius, Kapelan, Vojinovic, & Sanchez, 2019). People's perceptions of the co‐benefits of NBS, including the provision of ecosystem services, vary (Cinderby & Bagwell, 2018; Giordano, Pluchinotta, Pagano, Scrieciu, & Nanu, 2020; Hagedoorn et al., 2021; Spahr, Smith, McCray, & Hogue, 2021). How people perceive these co‐benefits depends also on whether they consider themselves as beneficiaries (Jacobs et al., 2016; Sanon, Hein, Douven, & Winkler, 2012; Small, Munday, & Durance, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A place‐based risk appraisal model for exploring residents’ attitudes toward nature‐based solutions to flood risks

et al. 2023

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Nature‐based solutions (NBS) have gained popularity as a sustainable and effective way of dealing with increasing flood risks. One of the key factors that often hinders the successful implementation of NBS is residents’ opposition to their implementation. In this study, we argue that the place where a hazard exists should be considered a critical contextual factor alongside flood risk appraisals and perceptions of NBS themselves. We have developed a theoretical framework—the “Place‐based Risk Appraisal Model (PRAM)”—that draws on constructs inspired by theories of place and risk perception. A citizen survey (n = 304) was conducted in five municipalities in Saxony‐Anhalt, Germany, where dike relocation and floodplain restoration projects have been conducted along the Elbe River. Structural equation modeling was adopted to test the PRAM. Attitudes toward the projects were assessed in terms of “perceived risk‐reduction effectiveness” and “supportive attitude.” With regard to risk‐related constructs, well‐communicated information and perceived co‐benefits were consistently positive factors for both perceived risk‐reduction effectiveness and supportive attitude. Trust in local flood risk management was a positive and threat appraisal a negative predictor of perceived risk‐reduction effectiveness affecting “supportive attitude” only through “perceived risk‐reduction effectiveness.” Regarding place attachment constructs, place identity was a negative predictor of a supportive attitude. The study emphasizes that risk appraisal, pluralities of place contexts to each individual, and their relations are key for determining attitudes toward NBS. Understanding these influencing factors and their interrelationships enables us to provide theory‐ and evidence‐based recommendations for the effective realization of NBS.

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“…To address stormwater challenges, communities across the US are taking a step forward to integrate green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) into their stormwater management systems [3,4]. GSI facilities, such as rain gardens and bioswales, use natural soil and vegetation processes to manage stormwater close to its source, thus restoring the hydrological and ecological functions of the urban landscape [5]. When planned and designed effectively, these facilities have been demonstrated to provide multiple co-benefits beyond hydrological functions alone, such as heat island mitigation [6], habitat creation [7], public education [8], aesthetic value [9], and recreation [10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Professional perceptions of participatory practices in green stormwater infrastructure development

Adib

Wu²,

Flohr³

2023

PLOS Water

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Participatory practices are essential for green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) development that addresses stormwater issues while providing other ecosystem benefits. However, few studies have examined barriers to community engagement experienced by GSI professionals, particularly which phases include public participation, the groups they target, and the engagement mechanisms selected. If and how professionals evaluated their engagement processes or outcomes also remain under-investigated. This study fills these critical gaps through a survey (n = 195) and key informant interviews (n = 17) of professionals and academics previously involved in GSI development. We reveal that engagement initiatives for GSI are hindered mainly by available resources, knowledge and perceptions, requirements, and the COVID-19 Pandemic. Public hearings/information sessions and design workshops/charrettes are the most frequently applied engagement mechanisms, and current participation practices focus primarily on early project stages. While most of the reported benefits, challenges, and best practices are aligned with well-recognized general community engagement guides, GSI community engagement is uniquely challenged by project technical complexity and the need for effective knowledge transfer and long-term stewardship. Finally, the significant gap in engagement assessments calls for allocating adequate resources for evaluation and advancing research on appropriate evaluative methods based on project type, community context, and evaluation purpose.

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Reading the Green Landscape: Public Attitudes toward Green Stormwater Infrastructure and the Perceived Nonmonetary Value of Its Co-Benefits in Three US Cities

Cited by 13 publications

References 49 publications

Perceived services and disservices of natural treatment systems for urban stormwater: Insight from the next generation of designers

Perceived services and disservices of natural treatment systems for urban stormwater: Insight from the next generation of designers

A place‐based risk appraisal model for exploring residents’ attitudes toward nature‐based solutions to flood risks

Professional perceptions of participatory practices in green stormwater infrastructure development

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