Divergent Pathways to Place Attachment: How Heterogeneous Communities Shape Human–Green Space Relationships in Beijing

Land transition in China has led to the emergence of highly heterogeneous neighborhoods. This process challenges the social sustainability of public green spaces. This research investigates the driving mechanisms of place attachment within green space across diverse community typologies in Beijing. This study constructed a structural equation model (SEM) based on 626 valid questionnaires, using the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S-O-R) framework. The overall SEM results indicate that place identity significantly contributes to civic behavior (β = 0.439, p < 0.001). However, a persistent ‘value-action’ gap remains, with 65.81% of residents demonstrating high identity yet low participation. Furthermore, the multi-group analysis (MGA) reveals that place attachment logic diverges significantly across groups. Regarding user identity, public events promote visitors’ place identity, but this effect remains insignificant among residents (β = −0.064, p > 0.05). Regarding generational differences, the macro-spatial environment is significantly associated with place dependence for young people (β = 0.330, p < 0.001) but is insignificant for the elderly. Community heterogeneity reveals distinct failure modes. In commodity housing communities, a disconnect exists where daily usage fails to foster dependence (β = 0.026, p > 0.05). Conversely, urban–rural resettlement communities display an identity deficit where public events fail to translate into place identity (β = 0.131, p > 0.05). The study proposes differentiated renewal pathways tailored to three community types. For commercial housing communities, it advocates precise interventions that prioritize social engagement. Meanwhile, for urban–rural resettlement communities, the focus shifts to accessibility and culturally rooted activities to help reconnect displaced populations.