IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jlands/v14y2025i1p206-d1571905.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Influence of Usage and Spatial Experiences on Personal Desirability of a Park Plan: Using Structural Equation Modeling—A Case Study of a Park near a Station in a Suburban City in Japan

Author

Listed:
  • Qin Huang

    (Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, Matsudo Campus, Chiba 263-8522, Japan)

  • Ryosuke Shimoda

    (Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, Matsudo Campus, Chiba 263-8522, Japan)

  • Yingnan Jiao

    (Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, Matsudo Campus, Chiba 263-8522, Japan)

  • Jingyi Yin

    (Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, Matsudo Campus, Chiba 263-8522, Japan)

  • Junhua Zhang

    (Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, Matsudo Campus, Chiba 263-8522, Japan)

  • Shiro Takeda

    (Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, Matsudo Campus, Chiba 263-8522, Japan)

Abstract

Owing to lifestyle changes since COVID-19, new needs for various usages and spatial experiences of open spaces have become apparent. Suburban parks and green spaces are thought to be suitable uses. This study used structural equation modeling to examine the direct and indirect effects of diverse usages and experiences on the desirability of three proposed park plans for a major park in City A, near Tokyo, based on questionnaire survey data. The findings highlight the importance of “Nature, Passive, and Healing” usage, including nature experiences and small-group activities. “Nature, Passive, and Healing” is negatively affected by “Gathering and Active” but positively by “Multifunctional and Borderless”. A potential for significant improvement in park desirability was also found by linking “Nature, Passive, and Healing” to “Multifunctional and Borderless”. For those aged 60 and older, the indirect effect of “Multifunctional and Borderless” via “Nature, Passive, and Healing” was large and significant, whereas its direct effect was not. “Multifunctional and Borderless” park usage was also been proven to have the greatest impact on female users, whereas, for males, “Nature, Passive, and Healing” had the largest impact. These results emphasize the importance of designs that balance diverse usages and ensure appropriate distancing to meet new needs.

Suggested Citation

  • Qin Huang & Ryosuke Shimoda & Yingnan Jiao & Jingyi Yin & Junhua Zhang & Shiro Takeda, 2025. "The Influence of Usage and Spatial Experiences on Personal Desirability of a Park Plan: Using Structural Equation Modeling—A Case Study of a Park near a Station in a Suburban City in Japan," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-24, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:14:y:2025:i:1:p:206-:d:1571905
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/1/206/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/1/206/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cohen, D.A. & McKenzie, T.L. & Sehgal, A. & Williamson, S. & Golinelli, D. & Lurie, N., 2007. "Contribution of public parks to physical activity," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 97(3), pages 509-514.
    2. Siqi Feng & Yuefei Zhuo & Zhongguo Xu & Yang Chen & Guan Li & Xueqi Wang, 2024. "Nature’s Neighborhood: The Housing Premium of Urban Parks in Dense Cities," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-19, October.
    3. Eunmie Jang & Hyo Bhin Choi & Moohan Kim, 2024. "The Restorative Effects of Urban Parks on Stress Control Ability and Community Attachment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-14, March.
    4. Juan Ramón López Soler & Panayotis Christidis & José Manuel Vassallo, 2021. "Teleworking and Online Shopping: Socio-Economic Factors Affecting Their Impact on Transport Demand," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-24, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mark P.C. Cherrie & Niamh K. Shortt & Catharine Ward Thompson & Ian J. Deary & Jamie R. Pearce, 2019. "Association Between the Activity Space Exposure to Parks in Childhood and Adolescence and Cognitive Aging in Later Life," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-13, February.
    2. Xiaohu Zhang & Scott Melbourne & Chinmoy Sarkar & Alain Chiaradia & Chris Webster, 2020. "Effects of green space on walking: Does size, shape and density matter?," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 57(16), pages 3402-3420, December.
    3. Liping Wang & Xiufeng Sun & Junru Yan & Meiru Xie & Hua Qin, 2025. "Quantitative Assessment of Age-Friendly Design in Mountainous Urban Community Parks Based on Nonlinear Models: An Empirical Study in Chongqing, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-30, April.
    4. Nina Angelovska & Julijana Angelovska, 2024. "Predictors of the Likelihood of Continuous Usage of Online Shopping Post-COVID-19," Economic Alternatives, University of National and World Economy, Sofia, Bulgaria, issue 4, pages 846-876, December.
    5. Boncinelli, Fabio & Riccioli, Francesco & Marone, Enrico, 2015. "Do forests help to keep my body mass index low?," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 11-17.
    6. Mingxin Liu & Chenxi Chen & Jiaqi Yan, 2023. "Identifying Park Spatial Characteristics That Encourage Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity among Park Visitors," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-22, March.
    7. Nam Nguyen-Dinh & Heng Zhang, 2025. "Do Positive Environmental Changes Impact Residents’ Intention of Rural Development? Role of Leisure and Quality of Life," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-20, February.
    8. Yaohui Su & Lingxiao Shu, 2025. "Evaluation of the Social Performance of Urban Stormwater Parks: A Case Study in Jinhua, Zhejiang," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(1), pages 1-25, January.
    9. Shirelle H. Hallum & Marilyn E. Wende & Farnaz Hesam Shariati & Kelsey M. Thomas & Anna L. Chupak & Eleanor Witherspoon & Andrew T. Kaczynski, 2024. "Unearthing Inequities in the Relationship between Multiple Sociodemographic Factors and Diverse Elements of Park Availability and Quality in a Major Southern Metropolitan Region," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(2), pages 1-19, February.
    10. Stephanie A. Prince & Elizabeth A. Kristjansson & Katherine Russell & Jean-Michel Billette & Michael Sawada & Amira Ali & Mark S. Tremblay & Denis Prud’homme, 2011. "A Multilevel Analysis of Neighbourhood Built and Social Environments and Adult Self-Reported Physical Activity and Body Mass Index in Ottawa, Canada," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 8(10), pages 1-26, October.
    11. Ut-Tha Veenarat, 2023. "Pioneering Eco-Cart: Carbon Reduction Solutions for Thai Online Shoppers," Management & Marketing, Sciendo, vol. 18(4), pages 515-536, December.
    12. Olga L. Sarmiento & Ana Paola Rios & Diana C. Paez & Karoll Quijano & Rogério César Fermino, 2017. "The Recreovía of Bogotá, a Community-Based Physical Activity Program to Promote Physical Activity among Women: Baseline Results of the Natural Experiment Al Ritmo de las Comunidades," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-15, June.
    13. Antonios Kolimenakis & Alexandra D. Solomou & Nikolaos Proutsos & Evangelia V. Avramidou & Evangelia Korakaki & Georgios Karetsos & Georgios Maroulis & Eleftherios Papagiannis & Konstantinia Tsagkari, 2021. "The Socioeconomic Welfare of Urban Green Areas and Parks; A Literature Review of Available Evidence," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-26, July.
    14. Elliott, Lewis R. & White, Mathew P. & Taylor, Adrian H. & Herbert, Stephen, 2015. "Energy expenditure on recreational visits to different natural environments," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 53-60.
    15. Mohammad Paydar & Asal Kamani Fard & Verónica Gárate Navarrete, 2023. "Design Characteristics, Visual Qualities, and Walking Behavior in an Urban Park Setting," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-23, September.
    16. Zhou, Min & Tan, Shukui & Tao, Yinghui & Lu, Yongzhong & Zhang, Zuo & Zhang, Lu & Yan, Danping, 2017. "Neighborhood socioeconomics, food environment and land use determinants of public health: Isolating the relative importance for essential policy insights," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 246-253.
    17. Jelena Vukomanovic & Barron J. Orr, 2014. "Landscape Aesthetics and the Scenic Drivers of Amenity Migration in the New West: Naturalness, Visual Scale, and Complexity," Land, MDPI, vol. 3(2), pages 1-24, April.
    18. Meryem Hayir-Kanat & Jürgen Breuste, 2020. "Outdoor Recreation Participation in Istanbul, Turkey: An Investigation of Frequency, Length, Travel Time and Activities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-23, January.
    19. Sandra C Lapham & Deborah A Cohen & Bing Han & Stephanie Williamson & Kelly R Evenson & Thomas L McKenzie & Amy Hillier & Phillip Ward, 2016. "How important is perception of safety to park use? A four-city survey," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 53(12), pages 2624-2636, September.
    20. El Murr, Karl & Boisjoly, Genevieve & Waygood, E.O.D., 2023. "Measuring accessibility to parks: Analyzing the relationship between self-reported and calculated measures," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:14:y:2025:i:1:p:206-:d:1571905. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.