A tale of two greens: Sense of Place drivers and pro-environmental behaviours

Abstract

Investigating individuals perception and connection with places and green spaces around them can contribute to promote environmental stewardship and enhance communities well-being. This thesis aims at exploring the drivers underlying such connections in the Italian municipalities of Cartigliano and Nove. The integration of categorical mapping and questionnaires enabled spatially based evaluations on Sense of Place, which was found to be positively correlated with the presence of municipal green spaces. The research uncovered how socio-cultural dynamics like public initiatives for ecological conservation can influence perceptions and attitudes toward local environment. Sense of Place was indeed found to be positively linked to residents pro-environmental attitudes. These findings can help landscape planners and policy makers in figuring out how to motivate people’s approval of conservation projects and plan green infrastructures. This thesis thus revealed reasons on why some individuals or communities engage in the efforts against environmental degradation while others neglect it.