The impact of consumer value perception of cultural and artistic elements in city squares on user satisfaction: Focusing on the moderating effect of consumer-sought benefits

Purpose: This study empirically examines the impact of consumers' perceived value of cultural and artistic elements in urban plazas on their satisfaction and investigates how the benefits sought by consumers moderate this relationship. Methods: The study employed a convenience sampling method to collect data from 298 consumers with urban plaza visit experience in South Korea. Surveys were distributed via Wenjuanxing from November to December 2024, and the data were analyzed using hierarchical regression analysis. Results: The findings reveal that consumers' perceived value of cultural and artistic elements significantly influences their satisfaction. Specifically, practical personal value goods had the strongest impact, indicating that when consumers perceive substantial personal value from cultural and artistic elements, their satisfaction with tourism increases. Aesthetic sensory value goods and social public goods also positively influenced tourism satisfaction. Furthermore, the analysis confirmed that the benefits sought by consumers have a moderating effect on the relationship between perceived value and satisfaction. In particular, the moderating effect was significant for practical personal value goods and social public goods. However, the moderating effect for aesthetic sensory value goods was not significant. Conclusion: the study seeks to identify user-centered value perceptions and benefit differentiation, which have not been addressed in previous research, and provide important insights for urban plaza designers and policymakers when designing and operating public spaces.