Necessary Conditions for Pro-Environmental Behavior: The Role of Urban Green Spaces, Awareness, and Equity in Emerging Markets

Urban green spaces (UGS) play a critical role in sustainable urban development, yet their behavioral impacts remain insufficiently examined in cities of the Global South. This study examines how accessibility, perceived quality, and equity of UGS influence pro-environmental behavior (PEB) among residents of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior, Attention Restoration Theory, and the Social-Ecological Systems framework, survey data from 400 residents were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling and Necessary Condition Analysis. The results show that access to green spaces is strongly associated with environmental awareness, pro-environmental attitudes, and sense of community, which in turn predict higher levels of PEB. Environmental awareness, social cohesion, and perceived fairness emerge as necessary conditions for behavioral engagement, while psychological restoration alone does not directly lead to action. Compared with findings from developed urban contexts, collective identity and spatial justice exert a stronger influence on environmental behavior in Phnom Penh. These findings contribute to sustainability theory by clarifying context-specific behavioral mechanisms and offer practical guidance for equitable and community-oriented green-space planning.