This research project is part of a multi-disciplinary project with the overall objective of providing municipal managers with data to demonstrate the various ecosystem services provided by stormwater retention ponds in the context of urban ecosystem conservation, with a particular focus on the protection of the drinking water resource.

This report focuses on the social and economic aspects and has as its main objective to inform municipal administrations on citizens' preferences for retention ponds, using Quebec City as a test case. More specifically, the objectives are: 1) To identify the preferences of Quebec City citizens towards different types of retention pond development; 2) To estimate the Consent to Pay (CTP) for retention pond development. CTP is not only an economic measure, but also a quantification of the benefit perceived by citizens; 3) Based on citizens' perceptions, qualify desirable and undesirable features of retention pond developments; 4) Create a typology of citizens according to their preferences to better consider the diversity of preferences.