Use-related and socio-demographic variations in urban green space preferences

Green infrastructure and the ecosystem services it supplies heighten urban resilience to pressures related to demographic growth and environmental change. Much research has focused on assessing monetary valuation of ecosystem services. Cultural ecosystem services have been studied to a lesser extent, though they are essential for understanding the relationship between urban green and well-being. The interactions between supply, demand, and benefits of cultural ecosystem services for urban citizens are complex and depend on multiple factors, including the density and layout of built-up area, as well as the physical characteristics and accessibility of public green spaces. Adding to this complexity are the social practices and cultural context in which people use, experience, and value nature. It is critical for sustainable urban design that the value of urban green spaces is understood. Our research focuses on deepening the understanding of the relationships between ecosystem service supply and benefits and how this relationship is mediated by social inequalities, and use, perception, and valuation of urban green spaces. Online surveys were conducted in the Brussels Capital Region to determine how people use urban green spaces, how they experience these spaces, and whether these spaces fulfil their needs for urban green.