Situation
Large infrastructure facilities such as international airports are increasingly expected to balance development and growth with consideration for the environment, public health, and quality of life for those living in the surrounding area. To better understand these expectations, this particular airport needed insight into how local residents perceive issues such as noise, air quality, and pollution, and how these factors influence trust in the airport and support for its continued development.
Complication
For the airport, local support is an important prerequisite for building legitimacy around its continued development among both local and national decision-makers. However, the airport continued to see a share of sceptics among its neighbours, despite several initiatives launched to improve its management of environmental challenges. Therefore, there is a need for ongoing monitoring of local attitudes and concerns, as well as a better understanding of which issues and initiatives genuinely shape residents’ perceptions of the airport and the wellbeing of their common local area.
Recommendation
To provide the airport with a solid basis for decision-making, Epinion has over several years combined quantitative and qualitative methods to map local residents’ experiences, concerns, and expectations. These repeated studies have made it possible to identify which environmental issues matter most to neighbours and how the airport can communicate credibly and relevantly about its environmental efforts. As a result, Epinion has provided the airport with an ongoing, locally focused, and strategically useful insight base that can support both prioritisation of initiatives, communication, and further development.
