From industrial past to sustainable futures: assessing users’ perception of green infrastructure in Naya Nazimabad, Karachi

Post-industrial land transformations in rapidly urbanizing cities are increasingly incorporating green infrastructure (GI) to address environmental degradation and improve urban liveability. However, there remains a limited understanding of how such ecological interventions shape user perception, belonging, and everyday social experience in the Global South. This study examines the adaptive reuse of a former industrial site in Naya Nazimabad, Karachi, to evaluate how GI influences residents’ perceived environmental quality, comfort, satisfaction, and sense of place. Temporal mapping of satellite imagery (2001–2024) was combined with a structured survey (N = 141) and statistical analysis, including Principal Component Analysis, Kruskal–Wallis tests, ordinal logistic regression, and mediation modelling. Results indicate that increases in tree cover, shaded walkways, parks, and stormwater-sensitive landscapes are associated with improved perceptions of air quality, noise conditions, and outdoor comfort. Frequent engagement with green spaces enhances satisfaction, which in turn mediates feelings of belonging and place attachment. Awareness of the site’s industrial history further strengthens identity and emotional connection to the neighbourhood. Ordinal logistic regression shows that comparative environmental quality is the strongest determinant of higher belonging categories (β = 1.406, SE = 0.282, z = 4.989, p < 0.001; OR ≈ 4.08), with satisfaction (p ≈ 0.09) and tenure (p ≈ 0.06) positive but marginal; mediation modelling confirms a significant indirect effect of usage on belonging via satisfaction (a × b = 0.072; 95% CI [0.013, 0.150]), evidencing a behavioural-to-affective pathway from routine engagement to place attachment. Findings indicate that enhancing comparative environmental quality and everyday GI satisfaction via shade, parks, and drainage can strengthen belonging and place attachment in post-industrial regeneration.