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Associations between the perceived value of community parks and subjective well-being: a case study in the old town of Nanjing, China

Guo Xuan,Jing Zhao,Xinle Wu

Published 2026 in Frontiers in Public Health

ABSTRACT

Introduction Open green spaces are crucial for urban sustainability and the psychological well-being of local residents. However, empirical evidence on the psychological benefits of community parks and the underlying mechanisms remains limited. Using community parks in the old town of Nanjing as a case study, this paper examines how the perceived value of community parks influences subjective well-being, as well as the differences between the older and younger groups. Methods Data for this study were collected through a carefully designed questionnaire survey aimed at capturing the leisure experiences of community park users. A hypothesized model integrating the perceived value of community parks, sense of belonging, and subjective well-being was constructed and tested. Based on 410 valid questionnaires, structural equation modeling was employed to analyze the model fit, mediating effects, and moderating effects. Results The findings identified four dimensions of perceived value and revealed a significant positive correlation between each dimension and subjective well-being, with spatial proximity exerting the strongest effect. Furthermore, the sense of belonging was confirmed to play a mediating role in this relationship. Multi-group analysis indicated that the mechanisms differed between the older and younger groups for three of the nine pathways, while no significant differences were observed for the majority. Conclusion This study proposes an explanatory model that elucidates how perceived value impacts subjective well-being, while also highlighting differences between the older and younger groups. These findings emphasize the importance of enhancing perceived value and fostering a sense of belonging, while also meeting the specific needs of older adults to maximize the psychological benefits of community parks. Future research should incorporate additional mediating and moderating variables, and conduct comparative analyses across different regions and cultural contexts.

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