Understanding citizens’ attitudes towards land use restraint policies in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in France : the role of psychological factors

This research project is part of the regional implementation (in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region) of a national objective aimed at reducing land artificialization. The Climate and Resilience Act of August 2021 sets a target of “zero net land artificialization” (ZAN) by 2050, as well as an interim target of halving the consumption of natural, agricultural, and forest areas between 2021 and 2031 compared to the previous decade. These objectives are broken down into two trajectories: controlling urban sprawl and protecting living soils, including in already urbanized areas. The Nouvelle-Aquitaine region had to incorporate these objectives into its regional plan for development, sustainable development, and territorial equality (SRADDET). The amended version of this regional plan incorporating these objectives was adopted in October 2024 and approved in November 2024. In addition, the national law n°2016-1087 on the restoration of biodiversity, nature, and landscapes (2016) promotes the “Avoid, Reduce, Compensate” doctrine. The ZAN objective is part of this approach, with various types of actions to be implemented in order to avoid, reduce, and compensate for land consumption and soil artificialization. This may involve reoccupying vacant housing and premises, reusing brownfield sites, increasing density, building underground parking lots, using permeable materials and surfaces, developing green infrastructure, or even de-sealing and restoring soil. Study context: In order for the land use efficiency objectives, and more specifically the ZAN objectives, promoted by the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region to be achieved, the support and assistance of the various stakeholders affected by this policy is very important, particularly that of residents and local elected officials. On the residents' side, their choice of housing and place of residence are decisive factors in the demand for artificialization (Loisier & Petel, 2019). In addition, they are directly affected by these downstream land use policies. For local elected officials, ZAN objectives must be territorialized by integrating them into local urban planning documents (Arambourou et al., 2023). Municipalities and inter-municipal bodies must therefore make choices regarding urbanization and land use policies, and reflect these decisions in various planning documents such as the Territorial Coherence Scheme (SCOT), the Local Urban Plan (PLU), the Inter-municipal Local Urban Plan (PLUI), and Municipal Maps (CC). Local elected officials therefore play a key role in decision-making regarding land use efficiency. It has been largely documented that public support for an environmental policy is a necessary condition for its implementation and effectiveness (Heidtmann & Selck, 2024; Vonk Noordegraaf et al., 2014). Understanding the origins of public support for environmental policy is therefore essential. Several studies have shown that sociodemographic variables have little or no effect on support for environmental policies, while psychological factors are the main determinants of public support (Bergquist et al., 2022; Ejelöv & Nilsson Hed, 2020). The aim of the current study is therefore to examine the psychological factors involved in the support of residents for the zero net land take policy and land use restraint in general in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. The psychological factors shaping elected local officials’ support will be investigated in a later study that will be pre-registered separately.