Landscaping patterns and sociodemographic profiles in suburban areas: Implications for water conservation along the Mediterranean coast

Abstract

The act of watering a garden greatly increases domestic water consumption in residential areas. This issue has caused local governments and managers to become concerned over how homeowners shape and maintain their gardens. This subject is critical along the Mediterranean coast, where residential urban sprawl has expanded over the last few decades and water resources are scarce. Suburban residents from the Girona region of Catalonia, Spain were surveyed to determine the main landscaping typologies used on suburban properties. Four garden typologies were identified and characterised: ornamental, vegetable, lawn and tree. Furthermore, a multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed how each landscaping pattern is associated with particular sociodemographic characteristics of the households (e.g., age, size, unemployment, length of residency). Management guidelines for water users, real estate companies and local governments are provided in the conclusions, focused on raising awareness and cooperation