Preferences for urban green spaces and peri-urban forests: An analysis of stated residential choices

Gengyang Tu (1, 2) , Jens Abildtrup (2) , Serge S. Garcia (2)

1 UL - Université de Lorraine
2 LEF - Laboratoire d'Economie Forestière

This paper assesses the value of urban green spaces, specifically peri-urban forests and their potential substitutes, for the local population on the basis of their residential choice. We applied a choice experiment that focuses on the trade-offs between private housing characteristics and the environmental aspects of neighborhoods. Individual willingness-to-pay is estimated from a latent class model and a mixed logit model along with a Willingness-To-Pay (WTP) space approach. Our results show that green spaces provide both direct use value (recreation) and indirect use value (scenic view). The respondent's value of distance to peri-urban forests depends on recreational use. The ownership of a private garden reduces the WTP for living closer to an urban park.

Mots clés: willingness to pay space; recreation; mixed logit; choice experiment; residential location; urban green spaces

Domaines: Sciences du Vivant [q-bio]

Gengyang Tu, Jens Abildtrup, Serge S. Garcia. Preferences for urban green spaces and peri-urban forests: An analysis of stated residential choices. Landscape and Urban Planning, 2016, 148 (April 2016), pp.120-131. ⟨10.1016/j.landurbplan.2015.12.013⟩. ⟨hal-01292350⟩