Abstract
Current sustainability discourse promotes sustainable yard practices as a means for residents to contribute to urban environmental health and soil conservation. Social–ecological research suggests that yard practices are shaped by multiscale social drivers, including social contagion, whereby visible expressions of individuality in front yard design are copied by nearby neighbors. This study evaluated residential areas within the Río Piedras Watershed (RPWS) in the San Juan metropolitan area to assess evidence of social contagion in front yard configuration and vegetation structure, and to examine whether these variables were associated with socio-demographic and economic characteristics when spatial effects were considered. A total of 6858 front yards across six highly urbanized sites were analyzed using Google Earth Street View imagery. Housing lot sizes were quantified, and yards were classified into eight landscape configurations based on green and gray cover elements. Woody vegetation structures, including trees, shrubs, and palms, were also quantified to generate estimates of functional diversity and a front yard quality index. Significant differences in yard characteristics were observed among sites. Spatial analyses revealed significant clustering at distances of 65–80 m, particularly for front yard configuration, while clustering of woody vegetation density was weaker. Local clustering patterns and the distribution of outliers varied across sites. Spatial lag models indicated that lot area positively influenced yard configuration and quality, and the density and diversity of woody vegetation. While socio-economic variables were not significant predictors of yard quality, their effects cannot be discarded. Overall, results are consistent with social contagion processes but also highlight neighborhood design as a key driver of clustering, alongside widespread conversion of green to paved front yards, with implications for soil and green infrastructure loss as well as environmental and human health in the RPWS.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Yard characteristics differed significantly among the six urban sites.
- Outcome
- yard characteristicse0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Significant differences in yard characteristics were observed among sites”
Claim · model-written summary
Spatial analyses showed significant clustering at distances of 65-80 m, particularly for front yard configuration.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e1“Spatial analyses revealed significant clustering at distances of 65–80 m, particularly for front yard configuration”
Claim · model-written summary
Clustering of woody vegetation density was weaker than that of front yard configuration.
Verbatim
e2“clustering of woody vegetation density was weaker”
Claim · model-written summary
Spatial lag models indicated that lot area positively influenced front yard configuration and quality.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e3“Spatial lag models indicated that lot area positively influenced yard configuration and quality, and the density and diversity of woody vegetation”
Claim · model-written summary
Spatial lag models indicated that lot area positively influenced the density and diversity of woody vegetation.
Verbatim
e3“Spatial lag models indicated that lot area positively influenced yard configuration and quality, and the density and diversity of woody vegetation”
Claim · model-written summary
Socio-economic variables were not significant predictors of yard quality, though their effects cannot be discarded.
- Treatment
- socio-economic variablese4
- Outcome
- yard qualitye4
- Qualifier
- their effects cannot be discardede4
Not reportedTaxonDirection
Verbatim
e4“socio-economic variables were not significant predictors of yard quality, their effects cannot be discarded”
Claim · model-written summary
There is widespread conversion of green to paved front yards in the watershed.
- Outcome
- widespread conversion of green to paved front yardse5
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e5“widespread conversion of green to paved front yards”