Influencing Factors of Residents’ Green Perception Under Urban–Rural Differences: A Socio-Ecological Model Approach

With the advancement of the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), residents’ green perception has become a key factor in driving green behavior and the implementation of environmental policies. However, due to differences in socio-economic environments, policy enforcement, and resource accessibility between urban and rural areas, residents’ levels of green perception exhibit significant regional disparities. Based on the Social Ecological Model, this study constructs an analytical framework encompassing the individual, social relationships, community, policy, and organizational levels to systematically explore the multi-level factors influencing urban and rural residents’ green perception. This study collects data through questionnaire surveys and employs Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to validate the relationships between variables at different levels. The findings indicate that residents’ green perception is influenced by multiple interacting factors, among which environmental knowledge and attitudes at the individual level, family support and social networks at the social relationship level, as well as community atmosphere and policy advocacy play particularly significant roles in enhancing green perception. Furthermore, there are distinct differences in the mechanisms of green perception formation between urban and rural residents; urban residents rely more on government policies and green infrastructure, whereas rural residents’ green perception is primarily influenced by community atmosphere and direct environmental experiences. This study deepens the understanding of urban–rural differences in green perception and their driving factors, providing region-specific policy recommendations to promote widespread green behavior, advance ecological civilization construction in both urban and rural areas, and facilitate the achievement of sustainable development goals.