A Framework for Designing and Assessing Sustainable Urban Public Open Spaces: Community Parks Enhancing Quality of Life in Saudi Arabia

Urban community parks are important public open spaces (POSs) that support residents’ quality of life (QoL) by aiding recreation, social interaction, and physical activity. However, evidence on how to design and assess sustainable POS in Saudi Arabia remains limited, particularly in relation to the country’s hot–arid climate, socio-cultural context, and emerging urban development priorities. This study aims to develop a context-sensitive framework for the design and assessment of sustainable POSs (a scope of urban community parks) in Saudi Arabia using a mixed-methods approach. The study combined: (i) a structured review of the literature on POSs’ sustainability and QoL/subjective well-being (SWB); (ii) naturalistic field observations in two community parks in Al-Khobar (Shells Park and Prince Ibn-Jalawy Park); (iii) an on-site questionnaire survey of park users assessing satisfaction and self-reported well-being (n = 89); and (iv) structured expert interviews to refine and prioritize the framework elements (n = 15). The quantitative analysis included descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and reliability testing using Cronbach’s alpha, the Mann–Whitney U test, and the Kruskal–Wallis test to explore the associations between perceived park attributes, user satisfaction, and self-reported well-being. The framework was iteratively refined through triangulation via the literature, field evidence, user feedback, and expert judgement, while expert responses were synthesized using weighted mean scores, simple ranking system, and the Relative Importance Index (RII). The findings indicate that shading and thermal comfort, safety, accessibility, maintenance, and cultural alignment are the most important design priorities in the Saudi Arabian context. The empirical assessment also highlights recurrent shortcomings in the selected parks, particularly inadequate heat mitigation measures, inconsistent maintenance, limited recreational infrastructure, and the weak integration of smart support features. Based on this triangulated evidence, the study proposes a framework comprising nine categories, 43 sub-categories, with 137 indicators organized across environmental, socio-cultural, economic, and smart-enabler considerations. The framework provides a practical and context-sensitive tool for evaluating existing parks, prioritizing interventions, and guiding future community park development in support the Quality-of-Life Programme of Saudi Vision 2030.