The Use of Green Infrastructure in the Suburbs: Insights from Three European Cities

Living close to green infrastructure (GI) components might be the dream of many people who are often exposed to cities’ pollution, congestion, or lack of green amenities. Due to its multiple benefits, green infrastructure plays a significant role in driving people’s decisions to leave inner-city areas and move to suburban locations. However, how GI components are used once people move into the suburbs must be better understood. Thus, this study explores residents’ rationales for leaving the inner city and moving to the suburbs and how they use suburban GI components. A survey was undertaken in six suburbs from three European cities: Poznań (Poland), Salzburg (Austria), and Bucharest (Romania). We found that people self-reported that green amenities were the main reason for choosing a suburban residence. Furthermore, those residents who moved to the suburbs were more interested in using their private gardens than larger parks and prefer natural green areas with high potential for recreation to agricultural landscapes for leisure. This study advocates for investment in private green spaces in suburban developments due to their deep interweaving with residents’ leisure preferences.