Urban Park Users’ Expectations for Smart Park Applications: An Exploratory Sequential Mixed-Methods Study

As smart city approaches increasingly extend to public open spaces, understanding what urban park users expect from digital park applications has become a critical issue for sustainable urban management. This study examines park users’ expectations of smart park applications through an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design. In the first phase (Study I), semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 purposively selected participants representing four user groups—parents with children, sport-oriented users, older adults, and general adults—in urban parks in Eskişehir, Türkiye. Thematic analysis identified eight user expectation themes, which were subsequently operationalized into a seven-factor quantitative structure. In the second phase (Study II), a seven-factor scale derived from the qualitative findings was administered to 374 participants. Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated a good overall model fit, and the scale exhibited strong reliability and convergent validity. One-way ANOVA revealed significant between-group differences in six of the seven dimensions, with sport-oriented users consistently reporting higher expectations than older adults. Safety and Activity Diversity was the only dimension showing no significant group differences, indicating a universal expectation across all user profiles. Multiple regression analysis showed that Independent Functionality was the strongest predictor of use intention, followed by Centrality and Communal Function and Safety. Integration of both phases through a joint display revealed that expectations are both universal and user profile-specific, underscoring the need for user-sensitive smart park design. By linking digital park services to user expectations, well-being-oriented park design, and the sustainable use of urban green spaces, these findings contribute to the literatures on smart cities, urban green spaces, and well-being, providing an empirically informed and user-centred framework for digital park applications that may inform efforts toward healthier, more inclusive, and more sustainable urban public spaces in line with SDGs 3 and 11.