Design-oriented cognitive mapping of historic urban public spaces: Comparing residents’ and tourists’ spatial perceptions in the Old Canal area of Jining, China

Purpose This study examines how residents and tourists cognitively perceive historic urban public space in the Old Canal Area of Jining, China, and explores how such differences can inform heritage-sensitive urban design.Materials and Methods Using a design-oriented cognitive mapping approach, the research combines cognitive maps and semi-structured interviews, analysed through semantic coding and spatial statistics.Results The findings show that spatial identity is organized around a compact set of heritage landmarks and canal-edge spaces, with Taibai Tower, Cultural Square, and the northern canal bank emerging as key anchors. While both groups recognize the canal corridor as the primary spatial framework, residents emphasize built form, infrastructure, and everyday movement, whereas tourists focus more on green–blue systems, scenic continuity, and experiential atmosphere. By integrating perceived frequency and importance, the composite-weight map identifies areas of shared cognitive significance.Conclusion The study proposes an evidence-based framework for translating spatial perception into design priorities for historic urban regeneration.