THE ROLE OF URBAN NATURE IN FOSTERING ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOR

Abstract

The research evaluated the influence of human-nature relationships (HNR) on environmentally responsible behavior (ERB). The specific objectives were to : (1) assess the availability of urban nature using multiple elements at different spatial scales, (2) understand how nature is perceived through interactions, activities undertaken and human senses involved, (3) identify factors that contribute the most to ERB, and (4) assess the influence of built environment and socio-cultural context on HNR. The results showed that utilitarian activities were the primary mode of interaction with nature, and nearby nature was the most important form of contacts. Among the clusters of factors influencing ERB, psychological factors such as environmental citizenship and self-efficacy were the most important and the presence of nature had a moderate effect on ERB. Path analysis in a comparative study showed that students in Singapore and Banda Aceh-Indonesia had different modes of interactions with nature which then influenced their ERB.