Sustainable mechanisms for cultural memory activation and community identity from the perspective of community public space renewal: A multiple mediating effects analysis

In the context of urban renewal shifting from "incremental expansion" to "stock optimization", community public space renewal has become a key driver for implementing urban renewal strategies. Building on social identity theory, this study innovatively constructs an analytical framework of "spatial foundation - emotional memory - social identity - behavioral practice" to explore how community public space renewal influences residents 'sustainable behaviors through cultural memory reconstruction. Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, we selected 20 representative communities across five cities ranging from first-tier to fifth-tier cities, with a total sample size of N = 1456. Empirical tests were conducted using SEM structural equation modeling and Bootstrap sampling. The findings reveal that cultural memory activation and community identity create a chain-mediated pathway between spatial renewal and residents' sustainable behaviors. Specifically, material environment renewal and symbolic environment renewal jointly enhance cultural memory activation, improving residents' clarity of cultural memory, emotional intensity, and willingness to preserve heritage. These changes further promote sustainable behaviors through the mediating role of community identity. This study confirms the chain-mediated path of "spatial renewal - cultural memory activation - reshaped community identity - sustainable behavior", providing new theoretical perspectives and practical approaches for understanding how cultural revitalization drives sustainable development in urban renewal.