Natural Density: Community Preferences for the Provision of Nature in Densifying Neighbourhoods

Densification within existing suburbs can be stymied by entrenched community opposition, partly because densification is seen as an assault on the “leafy greenness” of suburbs. Conversely, research asserts that park upgrades can incentivise support of densification in the park catchment. This paper tests such claims and documents the results of a survey (n = 1,097) in Perth, Western Australia, measuring support for different park upgrades deployed in an existing park in a densifying suburban setting. The park upgrades were based on different landscaping approaches from the recreation movement, water-sensitive urban design, and the pastoral, formal, productive, or bush garden movements. The survey asked respondents which type of park upgrade would most act as an incentive for them to support adjacent urban densification, and secondly, which would most make them consider relocating to one of the neighbouring apartments. Support was greatest for naturalistic park upgrades, which evoked the region’s endemic landscapes and resonated with John Dixon Hunt’s definition of “first nature.” At the same time, antipathy was evident towards the more formal, productive or recreation-focused landscape approaches. The paper emphasises the need for policies to deliver alternative park upgrades in conjunction with urban densification approaches to address community resistance to urban densification.