The Influence of Structural Conditions and Cultural Inertia on Water Usage and Landscape Decision-Making in a California Metropolitan Area

Abstract

Urban development and planning are increasingly centered on matters of sustainability, balancing economic development with ecosystem services and biological diversity within urban environments. In addition to these institutional and structural factors, the decision-making process within individual households must be understood to address rising concerns about water use. Therefore, individual characteristics and preferences that influence the use of water also warrant examination. In response to a survey of occupants of single-family residences in the Fresno Clovis Metropolitan Area of California, contextual interviews and focus group interviews with a homeowner sub-sample, we find evidence of an interplay of social-structural, institutional, and cultural factors involved in influencing individual water use behaviors and landscape decision-making. The complexity of residential behaviors and decision-making poses some potential issues with regards to the interactions between individual households and institutional actors in matters of water usage and landscaping, as residents surveyed indicate relatively little confidence in institutions and groups to make wise water policy decisions. We conclude that the promotion and implementation of sustainable water use practices will require not only environmental education for the citizenry, but also a tailoring of information for environmental educational initiatives that address the particularities of individual neighborhoods and communities.

Green Roof Design Techniques to Improve Water Use under Mediterranean Conditions

“…However, these differences were not significantly reflected in the aesthetic value that was in general maintained for the other plant species studied in Phase 1 of the experiments (further detailed in [23]). This result indicates that it is possible to use those native species under deficit irrigation without losing the expected aesthetic value, which is an interesting plant feature considering that the end-users' preferences more frequently privilege aesthetics, regarding other aspects (e.g., environmental concerns) [19][20][21].…”

“…Therefore, green roofs can be built as: i) aesthetically appealing environments; ii) ecosystem services providers; and iii) both, if environmental conditions allow to retain the aesthetic value. But aesthetics is a major driver of preference behaviour [19][20][21] and possibly only part of the end-users of green roofs in climates with hot and dry summers accept that sometimes there is a trade-off between aesthetics and ecosystem benefits, as less agreeable environments can provide relevant services.…”

Editorial: Partitioning the Effects of Urbanization on Biodiversity: Beyond Wildlife Behavioural Responses to a Multilevel Assessment of Community Changes in Taxonomic, Functional and Phylogenetic Diversity

“…On the other hand, Hensley et al found that Fresno showed stronger filtering effects on the avifauna with the urban bird assemblage showing lower similarity with the regional species pool compared to Tucson or Phoenix. This may be driven by differences in urban water use policies resulting in greater extent of lawns causing Fresno to diverge from the more arid natural surroundings (Katti et al, 2017); Tucson (and to a lesser extent, Phoenix) on the other hand has stronger water conservation measures resulting in more xeriscaped yards, reducing the contrast with the desert habitats of the larger landscape matrix around that city. These findings highlight a role for more intentional careful landscape design and planning in modulating the filtering effect of urbanization on regional biodiversity.…”

Sustainability concepts in global high-rise residential buildings: a scientometric and systematic review

“…The study revealed that investment in the advanced design of façades could significantly increase electricity production and ensure sustainability in HRRBs. Recently, focusing on promoting and implementing sustainable water use practices in HRBs, Katti et al (2017) explored the influence of the interaction among social-structural, institutional and cultural factors on individual water use behaviours and landscape decision-making. The study focused on educating property marketers on how luxury is perceived to satisfy buyers effectively.…”