Abstract
Green infrastructure (GI) initiatives, including programs to plant trees and install bioswales, have been adopted by a growing number of local government and non-governmental organizations. While the details of these programs vary, a common characteristic of most Canadian and US GI initiatives is a distributed approach that includes both public and private land. To date, little research has explored residents’ knowledge of GI or their engagement with related initiatives even though residents’ installation of GI is often key to creating distributed GI networks. In this study, we (1) assess residents’ knowledge of the term GI, (2) identify residents’ level of engagement with GI initiatives, and (3) examine whether factors like level of concern about local environmental issues can predict GI knowledge or level of engagement with GI initiatives. We explored these objectives through a survey of residents in Toronto (Ontario, Canada) and Philadelphia (Pennsylvania, US). We found that about a quarter of survey respondents in both cities had previously heard the term “green infrastructure”. Neither knowledge of GI nor level of engagement with GI initiatives could be predicted by the level of concern about local environmental issues, but residents’ interest in using their outdoor space for nature activities (e.g., gardening) predicted GI knowledge in both cities and level of initiative engagement in Philadelphia. Our results suggest the need for widespread education campaigns that clearly define GI so that residents can be participants in policy discussions, link it with their needs, and identify ways to manage GI to create desired benefits.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anderson, JE (2014) Public Policymaking, 8th Edition. Cengage Learning
Baptiste AK, Foley C, Smardon R (2015) Understanding urban neighborhood differences in willingness to implement green infrastructure measures: a case study of Syracuse, NY. Landsc Urban Plan 136:1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2014.11.012
Blaine TW, Clayton S, Robbins P, Grewal PS (2012) Homeowner attitudes and practice towards residential landscape management in Ohio, USA. Environ Manag 50:257–271. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-012-9874-x
Brown HL, Bos DG, Walsh CJ, Fletcher TD, RossRakesh S (2016) More than money: how multiple factors influence householder participation in at-source stormwater management. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management 59(1):79–97. https://doi.org/10.1080/09640568.2014.984017
Burgess J, Harrison C, Filius P (1998) Environmental communication and the cultural politics of environmental citizenship. Environ Plan A 30:1445–1460. https://doi.org/10.1068/a301445
Byrne JA, Lob AY, Jianjun Y (2015) Residents’ understanding of the role of green infrastructure for climate change adaptation in Hangzhou, China. Landsc Urban Plan 138:132–143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2015.02.013
Casaló LV, Escarioa J-J, Rodriguez-Sanchez C (2019) Analyzing differences between different types of pro-environmental behaviors: do attitude intensity and type of knowledge matter? Resour Conserv Recycling 149:56–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2019.05.024
City of Philadelphia (2018) PWD Stormwater Billing Parcels. https://www.opendataphilly.org/dataset/pwd-stormwater-billing-parcels. Accessed 10 Aug 2018
City of Toronto (2013) Sustaining and expanding the urban forest: toronto’s strategic forest management plan. City of Toronto, Parks, Forestry, and Recreation, Urban Forestry, Toronto, Ontario
Clayton S (2007) Domesticated nature: Motivations for gardening and perceptions of environmental impact. J Environ Psychol 27:215–224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2007.06.001
CMHC (2021) Toronto — Historical Average, Median and Price Percentiles for Absorbed Homeowner and Condominium Units https://www03.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/hmip-pimh/en/TableMapChart/Table?TableId=1.9.1.3&GeographyId=2270&GeographyTypeId=3&DisplayAs=Table&GeograghyName=Toronto Accessed 20 May 2021
Conway TM, Khan A, Esak N (2020) An analysis of green infrastructure in municipal policy: divergent meaning and terminology in the Greater Toronto Area. Land Use Policy 99:104864. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2020.104864
da Silva JMC, Wheeler E (2017) Ecosystems as infrastructure. Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation 15(1):32–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pecon.2016.11.005
Deely J, Hynes S, Barquín J, Burgess D, Finne G, Silió A, Alevarez-Martínez JM, Bailly D, Ballé-Béganton J (2020) Barrier identification framework for the implementation of blue and green infrastructures. Land Use Policy 99:105108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2020.105108
DEFRA (2007) Public understanding of the concepts and language around ecosystem services and the natural environment (DEFRA Project code: NR0115). http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&Completed=0&ProjectID=15310#RelatedDocuments2007. Accessed 04 May 2021
Derkzen ML, van Teeffelen AJA, Verburg PH (2017) Green infrastructure for urban climate adaptation: How do residents’ views on climate impacts and green infrastructure shape adaptation preferences? Landsc Urban Plan 157:106–130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2016.05.027
Dhakal KP, Chevalier LR (2017) Managing urban stormwater for urban sustainability: barriers and policy solutions for green infrastructure application. J Environ Manag 203:171–181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.07.065
Dillman DA, Smyth JD, Christian LM (2014) Internet, phone, mail, and mixed-mode surveys: the tailored design method, 4th Edition. Wiley, Hoboken, NJ
Drescher M, Sinasac S (2021) Social-psychological determinants of the implementation of green infrastructure for residential stormwater management. Environ Manag 67:308–322. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-020-01393-3
Escobedo FJ, Giannico V, Jim CY, Sanesi G, Lafortezza R (2019) Urban forests, ecosystem services, green infrastructure and nature-based solutions: Nexus or evolving metaphors? Urban Forestry Urban Green 37:3–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2018.02.011
Everett G, Lamond JE, Morzillo AT, Matsler AM, Chan FKS (2018) Delivering Green Streets: An exploration of changing perceptions and behaviours over time around bioswales in Portland, Oregon. J Flood Rick Manag 11:S973–S985. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfr3.12225
Frick J, Florian Kaiser G, Wilson M (2004) Environmental knowledge and conservation behavior: exploring prevalence and structure in a representative sample. Personality and Individual Differences 37(8):1597–1613. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2004.02.015
Gao Y, Babin N, Turner AJ, Hoffa CR, Peel S, Prokopy LS (2016) Understanding urban-suburban adoption and maintenance of rain barrels. Landsc Urban Plan 153:99–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2016.04.005
Glick DM, Goldfarb JL, Heiger-Bernays W, Kriner DL (2019) Public knowledge, contaminant concerns, and support for recycled Water in the United States. Resour, Conserv Recycling 150:104419. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2019.104419
Green OO, Shuster WD, Rhea LK, Garmestani AS, Thurston HW (2012) Identification and Induction of Human Social and Cultural Capitals through an Experimental Approach to Stormwater Management. Sustainability 4(8):1669–1682. https://doi.org/10.3390/su4081669
Hair JJ, Black WC, Babin BJ, Anderson RE (2014) Multivariate data analysis, 7th Ed. Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, N.J
Hansen R, van Lierop M, Rolf, W, Gantar D, Erjavec IS, Rall, EL, Pauleit S (2021) Using green infrastructure to stimulate discourse with and for planning practice: experiences with fuzzy concepts from a pan-European, a national and a local perspective. Socio-Ecol Pract Res https://doi.org/10.1007/s42532-021-00087-2
Heckert M, Rosan CD (2016) Developing a green infrastructure equity index to promote equity planning. Urban Forestry Urban Green 19:263–270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2015.12.011
Hopkins KG, Grimm NB, York AM (2018) Influence of governance structure on green stormwater infrastructure investment. Environmental Science & Policy 84:124-133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2018.03.008
Hubbard ML (2020) The role of knowledge in water resource management: an assessment of the Oregon general public. The Social Science Journal 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/03623319.2020.1782635
Kaiser HF (1974) An index of factorial simplicity. Psychometrika 39(1):31–36. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02291575
Keeley M, Koburger A, Dolowitz DP, Medearis D, Nickel D, Shuster W (2013) Perspectives on the use of green infrastructure for stormwater management in Cleveland and Milwaukee. Environ Manag 51:1093–1108. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-013-0032-x
Kollmuss A, Agyeman J (2002) Mind the Gap: Why do people act environmentally and what are the barriers to pro-environmental behavior? Environ Educ Res 8(3):239–260. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504620220145401
Larson KL, Nelson KC, Samples SR, Hall SJ, Bettez N, Cavender-Bares J, Groffman PM, Grove JB, Heffernan SE, Hobbie J, Learned JL, Morse C, Neill LA, Ogden J, O’Neil-Dunne M, Pataki DE, Polsky C, Roy Chowdhury R, Steele M, Trammell TLE (2015) Ecosystem services in managing residential landscapes: priorities, value dimensions, and cross-regional patterns. Urban Ecosyst 19:95–113. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-015-0477-1
Lieberherr E, Green OO (2018) Infrastructure through citizen stormwater management: policy instruments, participation and engagement. Sustainability 10(6):2099. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10062099
Locke DH, Grove JM (2016) Doing the hard work where it’s easiest? Examining the relationships between urban greening programs and social and ecological characteristics. Appl Spat Anal 9:77–96. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12061-014-9131-1
Locke DH, Roman LA, Murphy-Dunning C (2015) Why Opt-in to a planting program? long-term residents value street tree aesthetics. Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 41(6):324–333
Mason LR, Ellis KN, Hathaway JM (2019) Urban flooding, social equity, and “backyard” green infrastructure: an area for multidisciplinary practice. J Community Pract 27(3-4):334–350. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705422.2019.1655125
Matsler AM, Meerow S, Mell IC, Pavao-Zuckerman MA (2021) A ‘green’ chameleon: exploring the many disciplinary definitions, goals, and forms of “green infrastructure”. Landsc Urban Plan 214:104145
Matthews T, Lo AY, Byrne JA (2015) Reconceptualizing green infrastructure for climate change adaptation: Barriers to adoption and drivers for uptake by spatial planners. Landsc Urban Plan 138:155–163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2015.02.010
McPhillips LE, Matsler AM (2018) Temporal evolution of green stormwater infrastrtcure strategies in three US cities. Front Built Environ 4:26. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbuil.2018.00026
Meerow S, Helmricj AM, Andreade R, Larson KL (2020) How do heat and flood risk drive residential green infrastructure implementation in Phoenix, Arizona? Urban Ecosyst. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-020-01088-x
Mell I (2016) Global green infrastructure: lessons for successful policy-making, investment and management. Routledge, Abingdon, UK
Mell I, Clement S (2019) Progressing green infrastructure planning: understanding its scalar, temporal, geo-spatial and disciplinary evolution. Impact Assess Proj Appraisal 38:449–463. https://doi.org/10.1080/14615517.2019.1617517
Milfont TL (2012) The interplay between knowledge, perceived efficacy, and concern about global warming and climate change: a one-year longitudinal study. Risk Anal 32(6):1003–1020. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1539-6924.2012.01800.x
Nguyen VD, Roman LA, Locke DH, Mincey SK, Sanders JR, Fichman ES, Duran-Mitchell M, Tobing SL (2017) Branching out to residential lands: missions and strategies of five tree distribution programs in the U.S. Urban Forestry Urban Green 22:24–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2017.01.007
Parker J, de Baro MEZ (2019) Green infrastructure in the urban environment: a systematic quantitative review. Sustainability 11(11):3182. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11113182
Petts J, Brooks C (2006) Expert conceptualisations of the role of lay knowledge in environmental decisionmaking: challenges for deliberative democracy. Environ Plan A 38:1045–1059. https://doi.org/10.1068/a37373
Philadelphia Parks and Recreation (2013) Parkland and Forest Management Framework. City of Philadelphia. https://www.phila.gov/media/20171220162100/Parkland-Forest-Management.pdf Last Accessed 04 May 2021
Robelia B, Murphy T (2012) What do people know about key environmental issues? a review of environmental knowledge surveys. Environ Educ Res 18(3):299–321. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2011.618288
Spahr K (2020) Contextualizing and communicating the ancillary benefits of green stormwater infrastructure. Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO
St-Laurent GP, Hagerman S, Findlater KM, Kozak R (2019) Public trust and knowledge in the context of emerging climate-adaptive forestry policies. J Environ Manag 242(2019):474–486. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.04.065
Statistics Canada (2016) Census Profile, 2016 Census. Ontario and Canada [Country], Toronto, City [Census subdivision], https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=3520005&Geo2=PR&Data=Count&B1=All
Sussams LW, Sheate WR, Eales RP (2015) Green infrastructure as a climate change adaptation policy intervention: muddying the waters or clearing a path to a more secure future? J Environ Manag 147:184–193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2014.09.003
Thurstone LL (1947) Multiple factor analysis. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL, USA
Ureta J, Motallebi M, Scaroni AE, Lovelace S, Ureta JC (2021) Understanding the public’s behavior in adopting green stormwater infrastructure. Sustainable Cities and Society 69:102815–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2021.102815
US Census Bureau (2019a) QuickFacts. Philadelphia city, Pennsylvania. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/philadelphiacitypennsylvania. Last Accessed 5 May 2021
US Census Bureau (2019b) American Community Survey. Table S1602. https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=United%20States&t=Language%20Spoken%20at%20Home&g=0500000US42101&tid=ACSST1Y2019.S1602&hidePreview=true. Last Accessed 5 May 2021
U.S. Department of housing and urban development (2019) comprehensive housing market analysis: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. https://www.huduser.gov/portal/publications/pdf/PhiladelphiaPA-CHMA-19.pdf Last Accessed 20 May 2021
van Vliet K, Hammond C (2021) Residents’ perceptions of green infrastructure in the contemporary residential context: a study of Kingswood, Kingston-upon-Hull, England. J Environ Plan Manag 64(1):145–163. https://doi.org/10.1080/09640568.2020.1756757
Venkatarmanan V, Lopez D, McCuskey DJ, Kiefus D, McDonald RI, Miller WM, Packman AI, Young SL (2020) Knowledge, attitudes, intension, and behavior related to green infrastructure for flood management: a systematic literature review. Sci Total Environ 720:137606. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137606
Watkins SK, Mincey S, Vogt J, Sweeney SP (2016) Is planting equitable? An examination of the spatial distribution of nonprofit urban tree-planting programs by canopy cover, income, race, and ethnicity. Environ Behav https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916516636423
Acknowledgements
Funding was provided by a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada. The Pennsylvania Horticulture Society provided administrative support for the Philadelphia survey. Thank you to Janet McKay, Glen Abrams, Zachary Popkin, Erica Smith, Jeanne Waldowski, and Tiffany Ledesma for providing feedback on earlier versions of the survey. The findings and conclusions in this publication are those of the authors and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or US Government determination or policy.
Funding
Funding was provided by a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no competing interests.
Ethical Approval
The ethics protocol guiding the survey used in this study was approved by the University of Toronto (No. 36051) and Temple University (No. 25155) Ethic Review Boards.
Additional information
Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Supplementary information
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Conway, T.M., Ordóñez, C., Roman, L.A. et al. Resident Knowledge of and Engagement with Green Infrastructure in Toronto and Philadelphia. Environmental Management 68, 566–579 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-021-01515-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-021-01515-5