City Walk thematic evaluation and optimization strategy based on tourist experience

City Walk tourism continues to gain popularity worldwide, its related projects are becoming increasingly diverse. However, most existing City Walk initiatives lack systematic quantitative analysis, resulting in unclear directions for design and optimization. To address this gap, we conducted an empirical study of three representative City Walk routes in Kunming. Based on four analytical dimensions, literature frequency, relevance to tourist experience, measurement feasibility, and local particularities, the satisfaction and importance of 20 specific factors were evaluated, and priority areas were identified for improvement. The results show that transportation facilities, guiding signage, and street-side shops are not only critical components in thematic evaluations of City Walks, but also serve as key drivers of sustainable urban development and balanced city growth. These factors emerge as highly relevant to advancing urban sustainability. Furthermore, this study extends the application of the IPA-Kano model to urban pedestrian spaces and provides a replicable evaluation framework for analyzing and assessing similar spaces across China.