Understanding Residents' Environmental Risk Perceptions in Three Toronto Neighbourhoods: Lived Experiences, Expectations and Policy Implications

The environment is fraught with uncertainties that vary in scope and nature. Dangers posed by exposure to environmental pollutants in the air, soil, water and food are difficult to measure with certainty. Due to scientific and technical limitations, levels of risk stemming from environmental uncertainties cannot be defined solely in objective terms. Environmental-risk constructs are inherently subjective and influenced by multiple and interdependent factors such as psychological, social, cultural, economic, political and environmental conditions. Although environmental-risks are assessed largely on the basis of subjective considerations, lay-individuals' views on environmental-risks are seldom considered as relevant dimensions of risk management. By examining three Toronto neighbourhoods, this paper demonstrates that lay individuals' perceptions toward environmental-risks are rooted in contextual factors and often linked to the neighbourhood's structural conditions. This paper found certain variables such as socioeconomic status (SES), education, locus of control and commitment to place (among others) as influential factors in determining the level of environmental-risk perception. These underlying forces that mediate risk perception can vary widely across neighbourhoods, understanding them in their local contexts can enhance environmental-risk communication and strategic decision-making. Lay-individuals' knowledge and experiential wisdom about their environment should be acknowledged with more sincerity and given more consideration in decision-making.