Public preferences for urban trees and funding: Evidence from a discrete choice experiment in Islamabad

Rapid urbanization and climate change are driving tree-cover loss and environmental degradation in cities, increasing exposure to climate-related risks. Trees are vital for urban resilience, particularly in mitigating climate change impacts such as poor air quality and urban heat island effect. While most existing studies emphasize the ecological role of trees, limited attention has been given to how public preferences can inform urban greening policy and funding decisions in contexts of shrinking green spaces in cities of Global South. This study explores how citizens’ preferences can guide spatial priorities and policy instruments for urban greening in Islamabad, Pakistan. Using a Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE), analysis focuses on key attributes including street tree density, proximity of homes to green areas, tree coverage along major roads, and willingness to pay for maintenance. Results show that respondents strongly prefer tree-lined streets, followed by nearby green spaces and tree-lined roads. However, willingness to pay declines as contributions rise, highlighting a challenge for urban greening policies that rely on voluntary public funding. The study underscores that successful urban greening requires not only planting more trees but also aligning policies with public preferences, maintaining green infrastructure, diversify funding mechanisms beyond direct public contributions and raising public awareness to sustain urban greening. By linking preference-based valuation with funding challenges, this research contributes to broader discussions on urban resilience and climate adaptation.