How do heat and flood risk drive residential green infrastructure implementation in Phoenix, Arizona?

Intention to Install Green Infrastructure Features in Private Residential Outdoor Space

“…For instance, a study of residents' motivations to install GI for stormwater management in Hamilton, Canada, showed that personal capacities, including income and time, were important influences for GI adoption (Drescher and Sinasac, 2021). Similar findings were shown by a study in Phoenix, US, where people's implementation of GI in private residential space was influenced by their income and home ownership (Meerow et al, 2021). In another study in the Veneto region of Italy, age and education level influenced people's intention to install GI for addressing pluvial flooding (Pagliacci et al, 2020).…”

“…Due to the multi-disciplinary origins of the term, GI can encompass a broad range of natural elements and landscapes (Sussams et al, 2015;Matsler et al, 2021). For example, in European cities, GI may be defined in systemic ways, as anything green or living that is part of the urban ecosystem, whereas in other contexts, such as North America and Oceania, it may be defined in fragmentary ways, as any green or living features that can be installed or implemented in various spaces or landscapes (Escobedo et al, 2019;Conway et al, 2021;Meerow et al, 2021). Using this second lens, we can see that green spaces and landscapes, such as gardens and yards, are not the only definition of GI or the only places for installing GI.…”

“…GI features in private residential outdoor space may include living features such as trees, rain gardens, food producing gardens, and green roofs, but it may also include non-living features that can support living ones, such as rain barrels and permeable pavement (Larson et al, 2016). Numerous local government programs exist in Canadian and other cities to support the installation of these GI features in residential landscapes, requiring the interest and cooperation of numerous households to achieve the intended sustainability benefits (Conway et al, 2021;Meerow et al, 2021). The GI features that we have used in our study are listed in Table 1.…”

“…However, we are not aware of any study that has considered people's knowledge of and participation in GI initiatives in relation to GI installation. There are some studies that examine the socio-demographic characteristics of the people who participate in such initiatives, such as tree planting initiatives in the public spaces of residential areas (e.g., Greene et al, 2011;Gao et al, 2016;Locke and Grove, 2016;Hand et al, 2019;Meerow et al, 2021). However, such studies do not associate the various cognitive, experiential, and socio-demographic preconditions that may influence intended behavior related to GI.…”

“…However, most research on people's relationship with GI focuses on people's positive attitude towards GI in public spaces, such as roadside bioswales or street trees (Greene et al, 2011;Baptiste et al, 2015;Derkzen et al, 2017;Everett et al, 2018;Venkataramanan et al, 2020). Less attention has been paid to people's intended behavior concerning the installation of GI features in private residential outdoor space (Mason et al, 2019;Drescher and Sinasac, 2021;Meerow et al, 2021). There is a need for further examination of this topic to help us identify potential psychological and social barriers and opportunities to promote widespread adoption of GI in private spaces.…”