Public preferences for street tree characteristics: A best-worst scaling experiment

Abstract

Because of the environmental and social benefits associated with urban greening, many cities around the world are implementing strategies to increase tree canopy cover, including along residential streets. However, procedures for developing and implementing these strategies do not always factor in public preferences, which can limit public acceptance. This paper explores public preferences for different characteristics of street trees. Where past studies have relied on capturing perceptions of street trees using rating scales for relatively few attributes, we apply best-worst scaling, which is a type of choice experiment, to assess preferences for 16 different tree characteristics. As the method requires trade-offs from respondents, it results in a systematic ranking of the tree characteristics considered, which represent different ecosystem services, physical attributes, and management requirements. We find that capacity to support local biodiversity and drought tolerance are the two characteristics that are most preferred. We also find that having visual appeal, requiring little maintenance, and having native origins are viewed favourably. Tree characteristics seen as less important include the size and growth rate of a tree, along with whether it holds cultural significance. Better understanding preferences for tree characteristics presents an opportunity for environmental managers to integrate tree species with more widely accepted attributes into urban greening programs.