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The Ideal Landscape: Aesthetic Versus Maintenance Perceptions
Alicia Rihn & Hayk Khachatryan
Consumer Behavior and Insights (CBI) LabMid-Florida REC and Food and Resource Economics Department
University of Florida
2018 Urban Landscape SummitMarch 14-15, 2018
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Why Maintenance and Aesthetics?
• Landscape aesthetics (curb appeal) is the most important landscape trait to homeowners
• Aesthetic concerns– Need to align with
neighborhood standards
– Subjective/individual preferences
(Goddard et al., 2013; Hayden et al., 2015; Larson et al., 2016; Nassauer et al., 2009; Van Heezik et al., 2012; Visscher et al., 2016)
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Why Maintenance and Aesthetics?
• Maintenance is the second most important landscape attribute (after aesthetics) to homeowners
• Maintenance issues– Lack of time– Lack of knowledge– Need to align with
neighborhood standards
(Conway, 2015; Conway, 2016; Larson et al., 2016)
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Age Cohort Characteristics
Boomers +
• Born before 1964
• Retirees, fixed income
• Smaller households
• Possibly downsizing
• Core purchaser of ornamental plants
Gen X
• Born between 1965 - 1980
• Families with older children
• Mid career, family and mortgage
Millennials
• Born after 1980
• New to workforce
• Starting families
• First time home owners
• Starting to show interest in gardening
(National Gardening Survey, 2013; Pew Research Center, 2017)
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METHODOLOGY
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Experimental Procedure – Florida Residents
Consent & Instructions
Calibrate Eye-tracker
8 Choice Experiments
8 Aesthetic Questions
8 Maintenance Questions
Lab Experiment
(n=126)
Online Survey (n=2000)
8 Choice Experiments 8 Aesthetic
Questions8 Maintenance
Questions
Attitudinal & Demographic
Questions
Attitudinal & Demographic
Questions
OR
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Stationary Eye-Tracking Equipment
• Consumer Behavior & Insights Lab (CBI)
• Visual Attention Metrics
– Fixation Count
• Allows researchers to explore the relationship between visual attention and perceptions.
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Landscape Image Designs – House 1
Original-House 1 75% Turf : 25% Plants 50% Turf : 50% Plants
25% Turf : 75% Plants 0% Turf : 100% Plants
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Landscape Image Designs – House 2
Original-House 2 Minimum Turf Design Maintained Design
Natural Design Maximum Non-turf Design
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Example:
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RESULTS
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DemographicsBoomer+
(before 1964)Gen X
(1965-1980)Millennial(after 1980)
Sample size 80(63%)
25(20%)
21(17%)
Age 62 years 43 years 29 years
Gender 68% female 72% female 54% female
2015 Household Income
$60,000 -$79,999
$60,000 -$79,999
$60,000 -$79,999
Education 2-4 year college degree
2-4 year college degree
2-4 year college degree
Household size 2.2 3.3 3.0
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Aesthetic Perceptions
***
***
***
**
*****
*
*
***
***
*
***
-1
0
1
2
3
4
H1_25% H1_50% H1_75% H1_100% FC_Plant FC_Turf
Per
ceiv
ed A
esth
etic
s (h
ighe
r va
lue
= m
ore
visu
al a
ppea
l)
House 1 Designs, by Age
Millennials Gen X Boomers+
Base Image
Note: ***, **, * indicate significance with p-values <0.001, <0.050, and 0.100.
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Aesthetic Perceptions
***
***
*
**
***
***
***
-3
-2
-1
0
1
2
3
4
5
H2_minimal H2_maintained H2_natural H2_maximum FC_Plant FC_TurfPer
ceiv
ed A
esth
etic
s (h
ighe
r va
lue
= m
ore
visu
al a
ppea
l)
House 2 Designs, by Age
Millennials Gen X Boomers+
Base Image
Note: ***, **, * indicate significance with p-values <0.001, <0.050, and 0.100.
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***
***
***
**
***
***
***
*
***
******
****
-6
-5
-4
-3
-2
-1
0
1
H1_25% H1_50% H1_75% H1_100% FC_Plant FC_Turf
Per
ceiv
ed M
ain
ten
ance
Req
uir
emen
ts
(hig
her
valu
e =
mor
e m
aint
enan
ce)
House 1 Designs, by Age
Millennials Gen X Boomers+
Maintenance Perceptions
Base Image
Note: ***, **, * indicate significance with p-values <0.001, <0.050, and 0.100.
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***
***
***
***
*** ***
*
***
*** ***
-9
-8
-7
-6
-5
-4
-3
-2
-1
0
1
H2_minimal H2_maintained H2_natural H2_maximum FC_Plant FC_Turf
Per
ceiv
ed M
ain
ten
ance
(h
ighe
r va
lue
= m
ore
mai
nten
ance
req
uire
d)
House 2 Designs, by Age
Millennials Gen X Boomers+
Maintenance Perceptions
Base Image
Note: ***, **, * indicate significance with p-values <0.001, <0.050, and 0.100.
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Conclusion
Homeowner Perceptions:1. More plants = more maintenance2. More turfgrass = less maintenance3. 100% plants or turfgrass = not visually appealing
Low visual appeal
Lowest visual appeal
High visual appeal
High maintenance
Low maintenance
Moderate level of
maintenance
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Conclusions – Age Cohort Differences
• Millennials– H1: Preference tipping point at 50% split; more plants =
more maintenance– H2: “Natural” look preferred over “maintained” look– Fixations on turf increase maintenance perceptions
• Gen X– H1: Preference tipping point at 50% split; more plants =
more maintenance– H2: “Natural” look preferred over “maintained” look– Fixations on turf decreased aesthetic perceptions
• Boomers+– H1: No strict preference tipping point, up to 75% split; more
plants = more maintenance– H2: “Natural” look preferred over “maintained” look– Fixations on turf decreased aesthetic perceptions– Fixations on turf decreased maintenance perceptions
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Questions?
Contact information:
Hayk KhachatryanConsumer Behavior and Insights (CBI) LabMid-Florida Research and Education CenterFood and Resource Economics Department
University of Florida [email protected]
Thank you!Collaborators: Xumin Zhang, Gail Hansen, Taylor Clem
Funding Source: UF/IFAS Center for Landscape Conservation and Ecology