Residents’ attitudes and behaviours on private green spaces in the suburban areas of Central European countries

Green spaces in urban and suburban areas play a significant role in helping settlements adapt to climate change. The design, quantity, quality, and location of green spaces influence their ability to provide benefits to people and enhance the quality of life. Private green spaces, if adequately managed, can enhance the environmental quality. This study, based on a questionnaire survey and the Motivation/Attitude-Driven Behaviour (MADB) model, investigated how the attitudes and behaviours of residents shape private green spaces in 12 settlements of the 4 city regions (Cluj region, Nitra region, Kecskemét region, and Győr region) in 3 Central European countries (Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania). The results showed that beautiful natural environment, abundance of green spaces, beautiful settlement and streetscape, and village atmosphere were mentioned most often, along with good quality of life, with a mention rate of over 70.00% in the four city regions. Convenience also played a significant role in the management of green spaces, showing that convenience factors (less work, less waste, and cheaper management) more important for those who live in settlements nearer to the cities. The importance of biodiversity and ecology was positively correlated with socio-economic status such as education and financial situation. However, the importance of the utility of green spaces was less prevalent among original villagers and settlers. Moreover, we found that the percentage of green spaces of settlers is slightly higher than that of original villagers. The results of factor analysis revealed that socio-economic status can influence respondents’ attitudes towards green spaces. It suggests to increase ecological awareness of residents, especially for new settlers, and promote good management techniques for green spaces. This study can improve the awareness of urban planners about the importance of green spaces in suburban areas.