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The value of the North American lawn |
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Promoting economic development
The modern lawn care industry in the U.S.A. has grown rapidly in the past four decades. It now contributes substantially to the national economy with numerous employment opportunities. According a survey by the Professional Lawn Care Association of America, more than 26.4 million households spent $17.4 billion on professional lawn care, landscape, and tree care services in 1999. The total annual revenue for turfgrass industry which includes the maintenance of home lawns, sports fields, golf courses, and cemeteries, is estimated at astounding $45
billion.
A survey of middle-class, midwestern home-owning families (n = 325) living in suburban and rural communities reveals an almost unanimous (98%) consensus on the value of a lawn as the primary component of the residential landscape (M. Quigley, personal communication). Regardless of recognized cost, constant maintenance, and striving for a "perfect lawn" look, lawns are considered both "part of nature" and essential to the value of the property. A 1991 study estimated that an attractive landscape can increase the value of a home by an average of 7.5 percent, and reduces the time on the market by 5-6 weeks. It has also been reported that the landscape investments are recovered fully, and sometimes doubled, by the increased home values (The Wall Street Journal). Good lawn and landscaping increases community appeal. Parks and streets with lawns and trees have been found to be second only to education in resident's perceived value of municipal services. Well-landscaped grounds and places for taking walks are among the most important factors considered when individuals choose a place to live.
Cities can be very dismal without green lawns in parks, besides boulevards, and surrounding homes, schools, businesses, and the workplace. Lawns are the unifying element amidst the miscellany of building architecture. Unmanaged landscapes can result in loss of productivity and increase in susceptibility to anxieties and mental diseases. Landscaped lawns in business districts convey the "we-care" message leading to lowering of perceived job stress and improvements in worker productivity. Employees with an outside view of plants and green space experience less job pressure and greater job satisfaction than workers viewing man-made objects or having no outside view (Kaplan and Kaplan, 1989). They also report fewer headaches and other ailments than workers without the view. Psychologists have found that plants and green spaces provide a sense of rest that allows workers with access to plants and nature to be more productive (Kaplan and Kaplan, 1989). Greening of business districts increases community pride and positive perception of an area, drawing customers to the businesses.
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