TY - JOUR
T1 - Growing green
T2 - Exploring the drivers of citizens’ participation in Italian urban and peri-urban forestation governance
AU - Baldi, Lucia
AU - Trentinaglia, Maria Teresa
AU - Thrassou, Alkis
AU - Galati, Antonino
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Authors
PY - 2025/1
Y1 - 2025/1
N2 - Urban and peri-urban forests (UPUFs) are essential components of urban landscapes that offer multiple benefits to local communities, above all to those who live in large cities. This realization has fueled the interest of the scientific community in understanding citizens’ attitudes and perceptions towards UPUFs, focusing on the diverse ecosystem services they provide in social and environmental terms. However, less attention has been paid to the citizens’ perceptions and attitudes about UPUFs in relation to their willingness to participate in their governance. This quantitative study aims to address this gap by identifying the main factors that affect citizens’ participation in UPUFs governance. Conducted in large Italian Metropolitan Functional Urban Areas, composed of a city and its commuting zone, with a population above 500,000 inhabitants, this study provides valuable insights into citizens’ willingness to participate in UPUFs governance. Results indicate that citizens' socio-demographic factors (especially education, age, and income) and the frequency of visits impact their perception of UPUFs. High positive perceptions of environmental quality and low perceptions of the negative impact of UPUFs promote active participation in governance, especially among young citizens with heightened green space sensitivity, among those dissatisfied with current green space management and those advocating for effective communication campaigns. These findings can provide a practicable scientific reference for municipalities to refine their corresponding decision-making and communication, and to devise effective urban forest programs.
AB - Urban and peri-urban forests (UPUFs) are essential components of urban landscapes that offer multiple benefits to local communities, above all to those who live in large cities. This realization has fueled the interest of the scientific community in understanding citizens’ attitudes and perceptions towards UPUFs, focusing on the diverse ecosystem services they provide in social and environmental terms. However, less attention has been paid to the citizens’ perceptions and attitudes about UPUFs in relation to their willingness to participate in their governance. This quantitative study aims to address this gap by identifying the main factors that affect citizens’ participation in UPUFs governance. Conducted in large Italian Metropolitan Functional Urban Areas, composed of a city and its commuting zone, with a population above 500,000 inhabitants, this study provides valuable insights into citizens’ willingness to participate in UPUFs governance. Results indicate that citizens' socio-demographic factors (especially education, age, and income) and the frequency of visits impact their perception of UPUFs. High positive perceptions of environmental quality and low perceptions of the negative impact of UPUFs promote active participation in governance, especially among young citizens with heightened green space sensitivity, among those dissatisfied with current green space management and those advocating for effective communication campaigns. These findings can provide a practicable scientific reference for municipalities to refine their corresponding decision-making and communication, and to devise effective urban forest programs.
KW - Big cities
KW - Citizens’ perceptions
KW - Environmental attitude
KW - SUR analysis
KW - Urban green areas
KW - Willingness to participate
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85206699327&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.landusepol.2024.107385
DO - 10.1016/j.landusepol.2024.107385
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85206699327
SN - 0264-8377
VL - 148
JO - Land Use Policy
JF - Land Use Policy
M1 - 107385
ER -