Investigating residents’ willingness to participate in urban edible landscaping: Perspectives from China

Yansha Xiao, Chun-Chen Chou, Kenji Doi, Kento Yoh

Article ID: 2241
Vol 4, Issue 1, 2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.54517/ec.v4i1.2241
Received: 12 March 2023; Accepted: 26 April 2023; Available online: 18 May 2023; Issue release: 30 June 2023


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Abstract

In the context of the persistent food crisis and shifting societal dynamics, the concept of ‘edible landscaping’ has garnered increasing attention. Edible landscaping entails integrating food production into urban green spaces, offering a novel approach to address both food security and environmental sustainability. However, in China, conflicts regarding urban green spaces have arisen due to inadequate legal frameworks and management strategies. Gaining a better understanding of residents’ behavioral intentions and willingness to participate will provide support for future intervention measures by decision-makers. This study proposes an extended model based on the Theory of Planned Behavior to investigate the effects of individual attributes on behavioral intentions. An online questionnaire survey was conducted in Hefei, China, for hypothesis verification. The findings indicate that residents’ intention to participate in edible landscaping is influenced by perceived benefits and costs, attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms. Multi-group analyses reveal the moderating effects of past behavior, age, and gender on the proposed models. This study underscores the significance of promoting the benefits of edible landscaping while mitigating unfavorable factors. Additionally, it is important to consider the specific needs of different population groups. These findings have practical implications for future planning, implementation, and management of edible landscaping initiatives.


Keywords

edible landscaping; sustainability; urban agriculture; Theory of Planned Behavior; structural equation model


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