Work

The Mechanism of Young People’s Perceptions of Urban Parks on Their Recommendation Intentions

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Urban parks, as ubiquitous spaces, are vital in enhancing people’s quality of life owing to their significant ecological benefits. However, urban parks have not achieved full age inclusivity, failing in particular to prioritize the youth demographic. Against this background, this study focused on college students as a representative youth group. Grounded in Symbolic Interactionism theory and employing structural equation modeling (SEM) for data analysis, it evaluated how young people’s perceptions of urban parks correlate with recommendation intentions through place attachment. The results showed the following: (1) beyond the natural perceptions of a park, perceptions about activities and facilities are significantly positively associated with recommendation intentions; (2) perceptions of nature, activities, and facilities correlate markedly and positively with place dependence, and perceptions of nature, activities, and facilities correlate markedly and positively with place identification; and (3) place attachment and place identification exerted chained mediating effects between perceptions of urban parks and recommendation intentions. These results provide implications for planners and designers to upgrade the internal symbols of public facilities, such as urban parks, and offer practical value for deepening interactions with the youth group.

Source: Land

DOI: 10.3390/land15081520

Authors: Yuchen Zhang, Zheyi Xia, Chengcheng Yuan

Institution: China Agricultural University

Language: English

Topic: Place Attachment and Urban Studies

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,137