Impacts of Community Green Spaces on the Mental Health of Urban Residents: Evidence from Periods of Public Health Crisis and Non-Crisis

The frequent occurrence of public health emergencies highlights the importance of community public spaces in urban emergency management. While community green spaces are a key form of public space, their impact on urban residents' mental health during crises and non-crisis periods is not well understood. This study analyzes survey data from Xi'an citizens during and after the COVID-19 pandemic to explore how community green spaces affect residents' mental health. The findings reveal that: (1) Interaction with community green spaces significantly improves mental health through two mediators—connectedness to nature and neighborhood social cohesion. (2) The effect of connectedness to nature was stronger during the pandemic and in higher-risk situations, while neighborhood social cohesion had a greater impact post-pandemic and in lower-risk times. (3) Women benefit more than men from green spaces in terms of mental health improvement. (4) The impact of green space engagement on mental health decreases with age. (5) Higher educational attainment strengthens the mediating role of connectedness to nature and weakens that of neighborhood cohesion. This study suggests using community green spaces to address mental health issues during public health emergencies, enhancing urban emergency management's ability to provide humanistic care.