For the first time, this study presents a natural experiment describing and explaining selected stakeholders’ attitudes toward the transformation of cemeteries into urban green spaces. In 2020, a real-life community conflict unfolded in Bern, the capital of Switzerland, over plans to close the smallest of its three municipal cemeteries by 2023. This study analyzes a representative sample (N = 519) of the city’s adult population and that of the adjacent town, Ostermundigen, capturing the views of residents of the conflict district and contrasting them with those of people living outside the district. It also compares attitudes of cemetery visitors and non-visitors. Survey interviews were conducted via telephone and through an online panel. The study focuses on conflicts triggered by alternative land-use plans, highlighting the need to include groups that are both familiar and unfamiliar with cemeteries. Interestingly, the latter group proved to be more open to change. The local meaning of cemeteries and municipal green urban-space policies are crucial context parameters, as demonstrated by the strong opposition to cemetery transformation in affected areas. The underlying beliefs of opponents and proponents are explored qualitatively and found to be complex and multidimensional. Individual attitude predictors include age and personal emotional attributes. Finally, factor analysis is used to develop a typology of users. The four emerging user types are linked to different perceptions of “the nature of cemeteries” and attitudes toward innovative plans (e.g., whether to create burial spaces for pets or a restaurant within the cemetery grounds, both of which received significant support). The findings inform policy decisions related to urban green-space management while balancing the interests of various groups. User perspectives should be reconciled by focusing on “dialogues of values” and participatory approaches, which complement information-centered municipal policies.

本研究首次提出了一个自然实验，描述和解释了选定的利益相关者对将墓地转变为城市绿地的态度。2020 年，瑞士首都伯尔尼爆发了一场现实生活中的社区冲突，原因是计划在 2023 年之前关闭其三个市政公墓中最小的一个。本研究分析了该市成年人口的代表性样本（N = 519），并且邻近城镇 Ostermundigen 的照片捕捉了冲突地区居民的观点，并将其与居住在该地区以外的人们的观点进行了对比。它还比较了墓地游客和非游客的态度。调查访谈是通过电话和在线小组进行的。该研究侧重于由替代土地使用计划引发的冲突，强调需要包括熟悉和不熟悉墓地的群体。有趣的是，后一组被证明更愿意改变。墓地的地方意义和市政绿色城市空间政策是至关重要的背景参数，受影响地区强烈反对墓地改造就证明了这一点。定性地探索了反对者和支持者的基本信念，发现它们是复杂和多维的。个人态度预测因素包括年龄和个人情感属性。最后，因子分析用于开发用户类型。这四种新兴用户类型与对“墓地性质”的不同看法和对创新计划的态度（例如，是否在墓地内为宠物创建埋葬空间或餐厅，两者都得到了大力支持）。调查结果为与城市绿地管理相关的政策决策提供信息，同时平衡不同群体的利益。应该通过关注“价值观对话”和参与式方法来协调用户的观点，这与以信息为中心的市政政策相辅相成。