The public perception of urban vegetation in metropolitan regions of Costa Rica

Abstract

Urban vegetation makes cities more liveable, provides essential ecosystem services, and is relevant for sustainable development. We investigated the public perception of urban vegetation in the metropolitan area of Costa Rica, Central America. Through an online survey, we collected 1264 responses from Costa Rican residents on their attitudes and opinions towards urban vegetation's environmental services and disservices. After selecting those participants residing in the Greater Metropolitan Area and applying a data cleaning process, we derived 811 valid responses. Poststratification techniques were employed to fit the sample to the general population distribution. We found that the majority viewed urban vegetation favorably, with 80 % believing that urban greenery contributes more benefits than negative effects to air quality, shading, and wildlife. In contrast, up to 20 % think urban greenery is harmful, asserting that it encourages crime, promotes pests, and damages infrastructure. Perceptions changed according to demographic variables such as gender, age group, and education level. We compared our results to a previous study in Singapore, Southeast Asia, which showed similar trends despite cultural and economic differences. This paper offers a starting point for priority-setting and decision-making in city planning by delivering insights into how people in the tropics perceive urban vegetation.

Keywords

• Urban ecology
• Tropical climates
• Green infrastructure
• Natural scene perception
• Ecosystem services
• Urban planning