Paying for the tree on the other side of the city? How greenness and income influence WTP for healthier cities

Abstract

Urban green infrastructure (UGI) provides essential environmental, health, and well-being benefits, yet its distribution in cities is uneven. As UGI gains recognition, improving its availability for all residents has become a priority, though high implementation costs remain a barrier. Analyzing residents' preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for greening initiatives is key to understanding public support. This support, however, may depend on many factors, two of which are the focus of this study: (1) whether high-income individuals are more willing to pay for urban greening and (2) how the greenness of residents' neighborhoods influences their preferences (i.e., whether respondents are willing to pay for the tree on the other side of the city). A discrete choice experiment (DCE) with 760 respondents in Vienna was conducted to analyze preferences and calculate WTP for urban greening measures, using a mixed logit model with correlated random parameters. The study incorporated two measures of income (net income and income sufficiency) and two measures of neighborhood greenness: objective proximity to UGI and subjective perceptions, which were found to be uncorrelated. The results of the DCE suggest that while some heterogeneity was found, the overall WTP for greening programs is not significantly different between respondents from neighborhoods with different greenness, regardless of whether that greenness was measured objectively or subjectively. Conversely, income (sufficiency) significantly influences the probability of choosing an alternative over the status quo, resulting in a lower WTP of financially constrained respondents. However, this difference reflects financial capacity rather than lower appreciation for urban greenery, as these respondents still express broad support for greening initiatives when directly asked. Notably, support remains strong across all income and greenness groups for programs targeting areas beyond respondents' own neighborhoods. Together, these findings suggest a citywide appreciation of UGI that extends beyond socio-economic groups and local neighborhood conditions, providing encouraging evidence for broad public support of equitable urban greening policies.