Regeneration paradox in coal communities: Trade-offs between perceived green space quality, collective memory, and older residents' subjective well-being

Urban regeneration in post-industrial coal cities often prioritizes green-space quality as a means of supporting subjective well-being. Yet the psychological associations accompanying such transformation remain under-examined, particularly among older residents whose identities are rooted in mining history. This cross-sectional study examines a proposed ‘regeneration paradox’: higher perceived green-space quality may coexist with weaker place-based collective memory, even as it supports subjective well-being through other pathways. Drawing on a field-intercept survey of 451 older residents in five coal communities in Fushun, China, we combined confirmatory factor analysis with community-adjusted standardized structural association models and exploratory non-linear trend analysis. Higher perceived green-space quality was positively associated with subjective well-being and place dependence but negatively associated with place-based collective memory; preference for industrial remnants was positively associated with collective memory. Collective memory was positively associated with place identity and nostalgic attachment. Perceived environmental control, place identity, and nostalgic attachment were independently associated with higher subjective well-being, whereas place dependence was not. The positive association between nostalgic attachment and subjective well-being showed a plateau at higher attachment levels, indicating diminishing marginal benefits rather than psychological harm. These findings support a shift from exclusively quality-centered regeneration toward a meaning-sensitive approach that combines functional environmental improvement with selective preservation of locally meaningful industrial traces. By identifying trade-offs between environmental quality and collective memory, this study extends the Just Transition framework beyond its economic and labor dimensions to include the psychological dimensions of urban regeneration.