From green spaces to green behaviors: pathways linking urban forest visitation to pro-environmental action

Introduction Urban forests serve as critical infrastructures for sustainability, human wellbeing, and environmental stewardship. Access to these resources represents a symbol of social and environmental justice and plays an important role in enabling people to benefit from their functions. However, a research gap remains concerning the impact of visiting these urban forests on citizens' pro-environmental behavior. This study examines the pathways through which urban forest visitation promotes pro-environmental behavior, integrating affective, cognitive, and normative factors into a unified structural model. Methods Using survey data from 471 residents of Mashhad, Iran, structural equation modeling was employed to analyze direct and indirect effects among forest visitation, nature connectedness, environmental knowledge, place attachment, environmental attitudes, environmental responsibility, and pro-environmental behavior. Results Results demonstrate that forest visitation exerted the strongest total effect on pro-environmental behavior (β = 0.744, p < 0.001), followed by place attachment (β = 0.371, p < 0.001), nature connectedness (β = 0.333, p < 0.001), and environmental responsibility (β = 0.243, p < 0.001). Environmental knowledge (β = 0.265, p < 0.001) and attitudes (β = 0.097, p < 0.05) contributed indirectly, primarily by shaping responsibility and behavioral intentions. Overall, the model explained 81% of the variance in pro-environmental behavior (R 2 = 0.81), indicating substantial explanatory power. Conclusion The findings highlight the importance of experiential (visitation), affective (connectedness, attachment), and normative (responsibility) pathways in fostering sustainable behavior, surpassing the influence of attitudes alone. The results highlighted necessity of policies ensuring equitable forest access.