The Interactive Influence of Institutional and Behavioural Factors on Green City Development

With an unequivocal objective that cities should provide their residents with high-quality places, the prospect of rapid growth in the world’s population has spurred a need to develop new cities or enhance the sustainability and resilience of existing cities to effectively adapt to future changes. Despite these efforts, studies indicate that there exists an empirical gap to elucidate the interactive influences institutional and behavioural factors (IBFs) have on green city development (GCD). Consequently, this study assessed the influence of IBFs on GCD. A comprehensive review of relevant literature revealed that both institutional factors and behavioural factors influence GCD. The study was premised on a pragmatist philosophical stance and deductive reasoning which guided the epistemological positioning of this research. The study utilised a quantitative research method to gather data from experts in the field of green city development, and professionals with expertise in urban sustainability issues by administering a specifically designed questionnaire. The collected primary data were analysed with a one-sample t-test. Subsequently, the study hypothesis was subjected to validation through linear regression analysis. IBFs were found to have critical influences on GCD viz. influencing design schemes of green projects or development, the depletion of non-renewable resources and the financial feasibility of green projects or developments. This study adds to the emerging discourse on green city improvements in Ghana. Furthermore, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that investigates the influence of institutional and behavioural factors on the development of green cities.