Public attitudes toward biodiversity‐friendly greenspace management in Europe


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Date

2020-07

Publication Type

Journal Article

ETH Bibliography

yes

Citations

Altmetric

Data

Abstract

Increasing urbanization worldwide calls for more sustainable urban development. Simultaneously, the global biodiversity crisis accentuates the need of fostering biodiversity within cities. Policies supporting urban nature conservation need to understand people's acceptance of biodiversity‐friendly greenspace management. We surveyed more than 2,000 people in 19 European cities about their attitudes toward near‐natural urban grassland management in public greenspaces, and related their responses to nine sociocultural parameters. Results reveal that people across Europe can support urban biodiversity, yet within the frames of a generally tidy appearance of public greenery. Younger people and those using greenspaces for a greater variety of activities were more likely to favor biodiversity‐friendly greenspace management. Additionally, people who were aware of the meaning of biodiversity and those stating responsibility for biodiversity conservation particularly supported biodiversity‐friendly greenspace management. Our results point at explicit measures like environmental education to increase public acceptance of policies that facilitate nature conservation within cities.

Publication status

published

Editor

Book title

Volume

13 (4)

Pages / Article No.

Publisher

Wiley

Event

Edition / version

Methods

Software

Geographic location

Date collected

Date created

Subject

Biodiversity conservation; Biodiversity-friendly greenspace management; Environmental education; Environmental policy; Environmental responsibility; Lawn alternative; Maintenance intensity; Sustainable cityplanning; Urban grassland vegetation; Urban meadow

Organisational unit

03648 - Buchmann, Nina / Buchmann, Nina check_circle

Notes

Funding

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