Age-Friendly Neighborhood Parks in a Compact Chinese City: Perceived Sensory Dimensions, Restorative Experience, and Place Attachment Among Older Adults

Population aging is increasing the importance of neighborhood parks in high-density cities. For many older adults, these nearby spaces support short but frequent visits, making small-scale environmental qualities important for daily wellbeing. Drawing on perceived sensory dimensions (PSDs), this study examines how four perceived park qualities—nature, serene, social, and culture—relate to restorative experience and place attachment among older adults in Chengdu, China. On-site surveys were conducted with 344 adults aged 60 and above across five neighborhood parks. All four PSDs were associated with restorative experience and place identity, while serene, social, and culture were associated with place dependence. Additional analyses showed that visit frequency was more clearly related to place attachment than stay duration, and findings remained stable after excluding less-than-weekly users. Moderation analyses showed that place identity and place dependence strengthened the restorative associations of nature and culture, while place dependence also strengthened the association for serene. Social was not significantly moderated. These findings suggest that age-friendly neighborhood parks should support greenery, calmness, and opportunities for sitting, pausing, and low-effort social interaction. The study highlights how perceived park qualities are linked to immediate restorative experience and longer-term emotional bonds to place in aging, compact urban contexts.