Attitudes of Users and Non-Users Toward Public Facilities and Services

Abstract

<p> Our study is concerned with the problem of locating public facilities. We suggest that public facilities and the services therein generate locational impacts which can be best elicited through a behavioral approach and more particularly through attitude theory.</p> <p> In this framework of analysis, we postulate two alternative hypotheses in an attempt to circumscribe the essential dimensions of impact of public facilities and services. We suggest that either different kinds of externalities are imposed upon the users and the non-users of public goods or the impacts generated by public goods are essentially the same. In the latter case, they are evaluated differently and given different psychological weights. The attitudes developed through the evaluation of public goods are found to be the best indicators of the extent and intensity of their impacts. While attitude formation is a multidimensional process involving tangible and intangible elements we show that the resulting attitudes are largely dependent upon locational factors and distance relationships.</p> <p> In order to evaluate the attitudes of users and non-users we develop a Semantic Differential scale relating the characteristics of public services to the attitude system of individuals.</p> <p> Finally, we give the attitude score a "utility" interpretation placing the analysis in a planning context: that of environmental satisfaction and conflict situations due to the location of public facilities.</p>