Work

Neighbourhood norms do not hinder biodiversity conservation in private gardens

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Private gardens can be an important complement to traditional approaches to biodiversity conservation. While neighbourhood norms are often seen as a barrier to conservation gardening, little is known about individuals’ expectations regarding their neighbouring gardens. Based on a multifactorial vignette experiment and a neighbourhood choice question, our results reveal that existing norms constrain gardening much less than is assumed, leaving significant scope for activating the biodiversity potential of private gardens.

Source: npj Urban Sustainability

DOI: 10.1038/s42949-025-00335-4

Authors: Ulf Liebe, Jürgen Meyerhoff, Katrin Rehdanz

Institutions: University of Warwick, Berlin School of Economics and Law, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel

Language: English

Topic: Environmental Education and Sustainability

Subfield: Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Life on land, Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,490