Are suburbs perceived as rural villages? Landscape-related residential preferences in Switzerland

The analyses of a 2014 representative online survey (N = 1208) show that a majority of the population prefers living in “rural villages”, even though, from a more functional point of view, most of the places in which these people live could be considered suburbs at the fringes of metropolitan regions. “Suburbs”, however, are among the least preferred residential environments. Moreover, an additional expert survey (N = 53) reveals a discrepancy between planning professionals and the population: experts in the fields of urban planning, nature conservancy, and monument preservation show a higher urban preference. The findings of our analyses are discussed in light of the literature on landscape and residential preferences and lead to conclusions regarding spatial planning practice.