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While paper mail-based surveys avoid much of the risk of bots and fraudulent data, they suffer from lower response rates and ever-inflating material and logistical costs. In response, there is a nascent, but growing literature investigating a lower cost, explicitly anonymous, mail-based survey distribution method called Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM). This study contributes to this growing body of literature by using EDDM to disseminate a sequential mixed-mode census-style survey that meets best use-case recommendations per past research. We make several design alterations to elicit higher response rates including using an outer envelope and cash incentive. The survey, distributed near large-scale solar developments in three urban Michigan communities (~1554 households), was geographically based, targeted a specific and limited population, and covered the potentially sensitive topic of local solar development, which may have also led to a higher response rate. The survey achieved an overall response rate of 10.2% with 158 complete surveys returned, demonstrating this work’s usefulness, use case, and flexibility.
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URBAN RESIDENT PERCEPTIONS AND PREFERENCES OF LOCAL LARGE-SCALE SOLAR SITED ON BROWNFIELDS AND DISTURBED LANDS
US federal and state agencies have advocated for the development of derelict, polluted, often post-industrial and urban sites, i.e. “brownfields,” with large-scale solar (LSS). So too have local officials, developers, industry experts, and rural community residents arguing LSS development of brownfields represents a ‘win-win-win’. They argue these developments face less opposition from local communities than rural development, are a pathway to remedy prior injustices, and can reutilize industrial sites rather than develop valuable farmland or natural habitats. Yet little research exists examining residents’ perceptions of LSS development of urban brownfields and the perceived local community impacts that accompany such development. This is a key gap and raises the question of whether these developments indeed promote justice and whether and how opposition may arise from local communities. Using the theories of place attachment, procedural justice, along with resident perception of benefits, this study examines urban resident perceptions and preferences of urban LSS developments. The study utilized a mail survey disseminated via the Every Door Direct Mail service provided by the United States Postal Office to gather data from urban residents in three Michigan communities living within one mile of an urban LSS development. The response rate to the survey across all three communities was 10.2%, with 158 complete surveys returned. Respondent support rates were found to be similar to previous studies that looked at large-scale grid-feeding solar developments, with the two significant predictors of support being positive perceptions of local benefits and procedural justice.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1934348
- PAR ID:
- 10650786
- Publisher / Repository:
- MSU Libraries
- Date Published:
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Institution:
- Michigan State University
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Dissertation:
- The DOI is not currently available.
