Pull And Push Factors For Use Of Urban Green Spaces And Priorities For Their Ecosystem Services: Case Study Of Vilnius, Lithuania

Growing urban populations are increasing the demand for ecosystem services (ES) in cities. Urban green spaces, such as parks and natural areas, provide many of these ES, and thus there should be an increasing demand for them as well. The aim of this study is to assess resident demand for urban green spaces and their ES in one of the few growing cities in Eastern Europe. Using questionnaire surveys from 444 residents of Vilnius (Lithuania), we answered the following questions: (i) Which of nature's ES and benefits are in greatest demand in Vilnius city? (ii) Do preferences for urban ES and their benefits depend on the visitation frequency to urban green spaces? and (iii) What are the pull and push factors for the use of green spaces that contribute in shaping social demand for and ultimately the flow of urban ES and their benefits?We found that the most valued urban ES were the regulating services of air quality improvement and noise reduction. Provisioning services, like food and medicinal herbs, had the lowest mean importance values. A statistically significant difference was found in urban ES values based on the respondents' visitation frequency to the green areas. Those who visit green spaces frequently (several times per week) valued ES significantly more compared to those who visit green spaces less often. Our study showed that the most important pull factors attracting people to the green spaces were the same for frequent and rare visitors. These pull factors included leisure walking, enjoying fresh air, observing nature, relaxing, and recreation via physical activities. Push factors differed for those who visit the green areas very often and rarely. Distance and safety concerns were the strongest push factors for both groups. Our results provide empirical evidence that provisioning services are perceived as less important in urban setting where people have more commercial options to acquire basic resources, while regulating and cultural ES are highly valued as long as they are in a safe environment that is close.