The Mechanism of Young People’s Perceptions of Urban Parks on Their Recommendation Intentions

Urban parks, as ubiquitous spaces, are vital in enhancing people’s quality of life owing to their significant ecological benefits. However, urban parks have not achieved full age inclusivity, failing in particular to prioritize the youth demographic. Against this background, this study focused on college students as a representative youth group. Grounded in Symbolic Interactionism theory and employing structural equation modeling (SEM) for data analysis, it evaluated how young people’s perceptions of urban parks correlate with recommendation intentions through place attachment. The results showed the following: (1) beyond the natural perceptions of a park, perceptions about activities and facilities are significantly positively associated with recommendation intentions; (2) perceptions of nature, activities, and facilities correlate markedly and positively with place dependence, and perceptions of nature, activities, and facilities correlate markedly and positively with place identification; and (3) place attachment and place identification exerted chained mediating effects between perceptions of urban parks and recommendation intentions. These results provide implications for planners and designers to upgrade the internal symbols of public facilities, such as urban parks, and offer practical value for deepening interactions with the youth group.