Citizen's preferences for urban planning priorities: The importance of heat mitigation plans

Cities are at the forefront of planning for climate change and sustainable development. However, investments in environmental programs require careful balancing with essential service provision. The implementation of policies is more likely to succeed when these trade-offs align with the preferences of citizens. We tested the application of best-worst scaling to assess a selection of issues people in Australia believe governments should prioritise in their policies. Respondents prioritised health and safety in their communities, followed by economic growth and jobs. Heat mitigation, the most pressing environmental issue, was ranked third, underpinning Australia's exposure to increasing heat. Preferences for the other issues tested were, in declining order of importance, emission reduction, social justice, waste management and disaster risk reduction. Overall, respondents prioritised issues likely to provide private benefits, such as safety, economic well-being and heat mitigation. The low score for disaster risk reduction may reflect the urban bias and relative infrequency of natural hazards in Australia's major cities but may also imply substantial capacity for private coping strategies that do not require government. The results emphasise the increasing impact of heat on the wellbeing of Australian city dwellers. We also propose that best-worst scaling could help urban planners understand citizen preferences.