The central role of local authorities and mayors in promoting policies for sustainability and preparing for climate change is well known in the professional literature and is reflected in the plans and actions of many cities around the world. Today, many resources are invested in promoting environmental aspects and services at the local level. One of the main reasons for the emphasis on the urban area is the fact that over 50% of the world's population already lives an urban life today. In Israel the figure rises far above the global average and reaches over 91%. Israeli cities have enormous potential to influence diverse policy areas, such as transportation mobility, energy and material consumption, and ecosystem services, with implications for the local, regional, and national environment.

Despite the importance of the urban population in Israel and in the world, there is little reference in research to the place of city dwellers in the promotion and implementation of local environmental policies. There is a lack of comprehensive knowledge about the attitudes and preferences of residents according to their place of residence, and compared to the policies and priorities of the local authorities. Also, there is room for a more comprehensive analysis of the ways in which residents contribute to environmental change in their place of residence.

This study seeks to examine in the local Israeli context the attitudes of residents regarding priorities in promoting environmental policy, and their willingness to engage in achieving various policy goals. Alongside this, we will examine the way in which decision makers perceive the public's preferences and its willingness to cooperate with environmental policy. At the same time as these practical goals of the research, we will seek to conceptualize the role of urban citizens in promoting environmental policy - including preferences, priorities, lifestyle and attitudes regarding individual responsibility in environmental change. The aim of the research is to bring insights that will contribute to the formulation of a local environmental policy both in relation to the residents' attitudes towards environmental priorities, and in relation to the responsibilities that residents take, and are willing to take on, towards improving the environment. The research is carried out through interviews and focus groups with local decision makers and through a public opinion survey in several cities. The survey will also correspond with existing surveys of the CBS, with the aim of building a comprehensive database over time.