Engaging the community to understand the public’s perception, willingness to pay, and barriers to vertical greening
- Publication Type:
- Conference Proceeding
- Citation:
- 2021
- Issue Date:
- 2021-10-28
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The rapid urbanisation and resulting densification of cities negatively affect their residents, with impacts ranging from reduced human health to declining biodiversity. To overcome these adversities, urban populations must take steps towards mitigating these impacts. Natural environments and planted landscapes are key components missing from many urban centres. An often suggested strategy to improve the urban environmental quality is to increase the greenness of a city through the implementation of green infrastructure, such as green walls. Green walls are gaining in popularity as they address these concerns, are spatially efficient, and provide a range of additional benefits.
Currently, barriers impede the uptake of green walls across urban regions, including those in Australia. In an effort to capture inclusive public participation, this study engaged the community to understand the general public’s awareness, experience, and perception of green walls, barriers to implementation, and willingness to pay for local green wall development. This was achieved by distributing a nationwide survey administered through every local government in Australia. The responses were grouped by the demographic characteristics of the respondents to identify the attitudes of different groups within Australian society.
The results revealed a consensus that greener cities are considered to be a worthwhile investment. The majority of participants (72%) viewed green walls positively despite only 17% of them spending time near green walls. This stemmed from the perceived benefits green walls provide and the emotional and restorative responses that they evoke. The most important perceived benefit was improved air quality, followed by increased aesthetics and natural beauty, and a reduction in the urban heat island effect. The emotional responses most frequently reported included feeling more at peace and a stronger sense of community pride and belonging. These varied significantly across gender, age, income and geographic region.
The majority of participants (71%) reported that having a green wall at their workplace, residence or place of study would improve their quality of life. The majority of participants were also were willing to pay for local green wall development. However, the amount participants were willing to invest differed with income, with those earning a median to high income more willing to invest at the highest threshold, and those in the highest income bracket were the least likely to invest.
Two major barriers to local green wall development were identified, which highlighted potential areas of improvement. The first being the provision of more information such as educational and technical resources (guidance, workshops, technical support), while the second was fiscal (rebates, funding, incentives). The highest ranked considerations for green wall implement included ease of operation and structural durability, and maintenance. However, these varied substantially across gender, age, income and geographic region.
This study provides evidence that Australians have a desire to develop green walls in their community and understand their benefits. However, barriers to implementation must be addressed through greater educational, technical and fiscal support from all levels of governments or private industry to provide the necessary resources. By addressing these issues, a greener Australia for all may be possible.
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