Post-occupancy evaluation of waterfront industrial heritage reuse in China: Assessing satisfaction and importance on Jingzhou Yang Pier historical area

In recent years, urban waterfront industrial heritage has become integral to land use and urban development policies, with many industrial sites being redeveloped for new functional purposes. However, the processes of conservation and reuse are ongoing, and post-use assessments are often neglected. This paper uses post-occupancy evaluation (POE) to quantitatively assess user satisfaction and importance with 300 sample of questionnaires at the Yang Pier Historical Area in Jingzhou City, China—a site now transformed into a cultural and creative industrial park. The study reveals that, post-renovation, the site lacks historical and cultural authenticity, and its industrial and traditional cultural expressions fall short of user expectations. By applying the AHP-Kano model to analyze user demand curves, the study identifies the urgency of improvements needed in various aspects of the heritage site, offering theoretical support for future renewal and optimization. The constructed evaluation index system also serves as a reference for post-use assessments of other similar waterfront industrial heritage sites. This paper underscores the importance and need for assessing waterfront industrial heritage restoration projects, offering a user-centered perspective for heritage assessment practices. • Classifies waterfront industrial heritage spaces and applies satisfaction–importance analysis to guide user-centered renewal. • Develops an AHP–Kano model to assess reuse and identify key factors affecting user satisfaction. • Identifies five factors shaping user satisfaction and renovation priorities in the Yang Pier Historic District.