Citizens’ perception of the role of urban nature-based solutions and green infrastructures towards climate change in Italy

Abstract

Climate change in recent years is shaping society’s habits and life in large cities, then it will be necessary to plan and design nature-based urban solutions to meet different interests and needs. To enable this approach between cities, urban green spaces and climate change, sustainable and resilient urban growth models are needed, planned with the contribution of citizens as priority stakeholders. Citizens perceive and attribute value to Green Infrastructures (GIs), albeit in relation to different socio-economic and environmental variables, the assessment of which has only recently been addressed in specific research. This research analysed citizens’ perceptions of GIs in combating the effects of the climate change. In particular, it revealed the degree of awareness of climate change, the value attributed to GIs and, finally, the willingness to pay to contribute to the maintenance of GIs in the city. The survey was carried out in the city of Catania (Italy), through the administration of questionnaires to a sample of residents (n = 500). The results show that the citizens involved perceive GIs as strategic elements of the quality of urban life, although they are not always aware of their positive impact on climate change. Interest in the co-management of GIs was higher in the case of crowdfunding. An integrated two-step methodological scheme was applied (divided in two phases, univariate and multivariate statistical analysis), which proved effective in analysing the different needs perceived by citizens. This approach could become a useful tool for planning GIs, especially in the current context in which cities are facing challenges related to climate change and changing societal needs. Understanding citizens’ views will be strategic in directing public investments towards GIs that can improve the quality of life in the urban ecosystem.

Building Urban Climate Resilience: Assessing Awareness, Perception, and Willingness regarding Nature-Based Solutions and Climate Change among Stakeholders in Iligan City, Philippines

“…On the other hand, negative intercorrelations have been found between perceptions of climate change, awareness of climate change and NBS, perceptions of NBS, and willingness to engage. This finding is consistent with the study conducted by [42] in Italy, where they found that individuals who have a higher awareness of climate change are linked with greater positive perceptions towards NBS projects such as green infrastructure and willingness to contribute to its maintenance.…”

Assessing the Benefits of Climate-Sensitive Design with Nature-Based Solutions for Climate Change Adaptation in Urban Regeneration: A Case Study in Cheltenham, UK

“…This approach should involve not only landscape architects and urban planners but also social scientists, architects, arboriculturists, urban foresters, economists, meteorologists, and building engineers [61]. Lastly, our study lacks community involvement, which is essential for understanding the perceptions and preferences of NBS as perceived by the community, who will be the users of these regenerated spaces [17,62].…”

Spread Is Better: Suitability for Climate Neutrality of Italian Urban Systems

“…Questioning the preferred development model for European objectives and abandoning the narrative of the inevitable failure of the land of sprawl and extensive consumption [7][8][9] means understanding this dependency link and fostering a shift from a polyperiphery geography to a nonhierarchical, networked one [10]. The analysis outcomes can provide critical reflections on spatial and urban development perspectives at the European level, suggesting a change in mindset for all design and planning processes of the significant spatial transformations underway for climate change adaptation and mitigation [11,12]. To date, real estate and census values predominantly drive spatial developments, concentrating transformations towards the centres with the highest financial availability and the soils where the value is highest.…”