Municipalities are increasingly promoting green infrastructure in residential neighborhoods as a strategy to manage stormwater runoff, but the extent to which residents are willing to adopt these alternatives to conventional landscaping remains unclear. This study examines the West Creek Ecosystem Restoration Project in Parma, Ohio, a suburban green infrastructure demonstration site for a new regional stormwater management program in the Cleveland metropolitan region. Residents were offered free installation of green infrastructure (e.g., rain gardens, right-of-way bioretentions, and rain barrels) on their property. Through a mixed method case-study, we analyze the socio-cultural factors that influence participation including resident’s self-reported landscaping behaviors, environmental knowledge and values, and attitudes and perceptions toward green infrastructure and stormwater management. Results suggest that attitudes and perceptions most strongly influenced participation, residents generally disconnect local stormwater management from regional water resource issues, and that trusted peers may be more likely to encourage participation than official promotional strategies. These findings point to the importance of context-dependent framing and neighborhood partners in outreach activities.
Recommended Citation
Turner, V. Kelly; Jarden, Kimberly; and Jefferson, Anne
(2016)
"Resident perspectives on green infrastructure in an experimental suburban stormwater management program,"
Cities and the Environment (CATE):
Vol. 9:
Iss.
1, Article 4.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/cate/vol9/iss1/4
