A Study on the Perceptual Differences in Street Space in Historic and Cultural Districts from the Host–Guest Shared Perspective: A Case Study of the Sajinqiao Area in Xi’an, China

In historic and cultural districts characterized by the coexistence of residential and commercial functions, street spaces play a pivotal role in shaping urban cultural continuity and local identity. They simultaneously support the daily lives and emotional attachment of residents while accommodating the tourism activities of visitors. Despite this dual significance, the distinct functional and experiential expectations of residents and tourists have resulted in multidimensional perceptual differences, which have not been sufficiently addressed in previous studies yet are crucial for enhancing street space quality. Using the Sajinqiao Historic and Cultural District in Xi’an, China, as a case study, this research develops a perceptual evaluation system for street spaces and applies an enhanced IPA-KANO model to examine variations in explicit importance, attribute performance, and implicit importance between residents and tourists. Findings indicate that residents attach greater importance to religious sites, community facilities, and cultural belonging, whereas tourists prioritize transport accessibility, iconic architecture, and commercial vibrancy. Both groups expressed relatively low satisfaction with several key cultural experience elements. Based on these results, this study proposes targeted optimization strategies for elements identified as highly important yet underperforming, providing a practical framework for balancing heritage conservation with contemporary tourism development in such integrated urban environments.