Public preferences and willingness to pay for low impact development: a comparative case study of pilot sponge cities in China

Abstract

Increased urbanization and climate change globally have exacerbated an increase in the frequency of extreme weather, especially rainstorms and flooding. Low impact development (LID) has been adopted for several decades to reduce urban pluvial flooding and cope with urban climate change. However, LID has not been widely used due to the lack of sustainable funding. In this article, a discrete choice experiment method was used to understand public preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for the functions of LID facilities. Four attributes were selected, and after that, 958 and 646 valid questionnaires were collected in the pilot sponge cities of Zhengzhou and Hebi, respectively. The results showed that respondents showed a significant WTP for LID facilities, with a desire to support rainwater drainage, recreation and entertainment, and the landscape environment. Experience of flooding had a significant effect on Zhengzhou respondents, but not on Hebi respondents. We have concluded that rainwater drainage should still be considered the most important function of LID facilities. At the same time, educational level and flood experiences may not affect the public's WTP. This article can provide a reference for cities that would like to implement LID and create a stormwater fee system to adapt to global change.