Measuring heterogeneous preferences for preserving farmland and open space

Public preferences for environmental policies often vary among individual citizens according to their socio-economic characteristics and attitudes toward environmental programs. Most researchers account for socio-economic characteristics when conducting public preference surveys, but do not account for differences in preferences that transcend socio-economic categories. Identifying the public’s attitudes regarding environmental programs and the role they play in shaping individuals’ preferences for policy alternatives can assist policy makers in developing programs that are consistent with public expectations. This paper uses factor analysis and a discrete choice model to describe differences in public preferences that result from different attitudes regarding the goals of programs designed to preserve farmland and open space. Results describe policy implications that are not apparent when using models that address socio-economic characteristics alone. © 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.