Abstract

director of the Town of Fairfield Conservation Commission, for his steadfast support. I thank Claire Walden, Zac Graves, and Wenli Huang for their excellent research assistance. Finally, I acknowledge the financial assistance of Fairfield University, which provided me with a research grant. All errors remain my own. 2ABSTRACT This paper combines an established revealed preference method, discrete-choice hedonic analysis, and a relatively new stated preference method, choice-based conjoint analysis, in order to estimate more accurately the aesthetic benefits generated by the presence and quality of environmental amenities associated with residential locations. It applies the combined approach to the housing market of Fairfield, CT, which contains several environmental amenities and is experiencing an improvement in the quality of its coastal wetlands. This combined approach proves especially useful for measuring the aesthetic benefits of environmental amenities in an urban or suburban setting and assessing the increased aesthetic benefits from improved wetland quality.