Alternativa grönytor i urbana miljöer - en undersökning av möjligheterna att anlägga ängsmark

Sammanfattning: During this bachelor thesis I have studied the potential to use meadows as a vegetation type in urban environments instead of the traditional lawn, or amenity grass. The task of this thesis is interesting as the loss of biodiversity is a serious problem for our society, not the least because it threatens many important ecosystem services. In this thesis I have focused on the role of real estate companies to investigate the ability for them to implement meadows within their own real estate. To collect information, I have interviewed people from three real estate companies which are operative with varying degrees in Scania regarding their views on urban meadow vegetation. I also made an online survey to get the opinions from the public, and to see if there are any underlying factors that affects people’s attitude towards meadows in urban areas. The survey was mainly spread via Facebook. The main results from the survey show that the degree of contact with nature and the interest for the environment are factors that have a positive effect on the attitudes towards urban meadow vegetation. The survey also indicates that the place where people grew up has an effect on the attitudes towards meadows, with people from rural areas being more positive. Among those who prefer the traditional lawn, the main reasons are its practical advantages, e.g. the good possibilities for sport activities and picnic. A commonly stated reason for not wanting meadow vegetation is the fear of tics. Those who preferred the meadows before lawns motivated it with the ecological benefits that the meadows contribute with, and because it is aesthetically appealing.