Assessing the restorative environment of pocket parks in old urban districts of Chinese cities in the context of healthy aging

Background: In the context of healthy aging, pocket parks in old urban districts function as small-scale green open spaces that are easily accessible in older adults' daily lives. However, their restorative environmental characteristics and appropriate assessment methods remain insufficiently examined. Methods: This study focused on three representative pocket parks in the old urban districts of Maanshan, China, and developed an evaluation framework tailored to older adults' everyday use contexts under the theoretical lens of restorative environments. An integrated approach combining the Fuzzy Delphi Method, the Analytic Hierarchy Process, and Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation was applied. Results: The evaluation system comprised five dimensions and 25 indicators. Among the five dimensions, safety received the highest weight, followed by comfort and mobility, whereas richness and attractiveness had lower weights. The three pocket parks showed different levels of restorative-supportive performance, with Zhenqu Pocket Park obtaining the highest comprehensive score, followed by Kangle Pocket Park and Zhumeng Pocket Park. Weight sensitivity analysis showed that this ranking remained stable across all perturbation scenarios. In addition, the indicator-level non-parametric comparison confirmed significant differences in the score profiles of the three parks. Despite these differences, all three parks shared a similar structural pattern, characterized by relatively strong safety performance but insufficient richness and attractiveness. Conclusion: The findings indicate that improving the restorative quality of pocket parks in old urban districts should not rely solely on increasing greenery or facilities, but should instead emphasize the coordinated enhancement of safety, walkability, comfort, richness, and experiential attractiveness. This study provides empirical evidence for restorative environment assessment and practical support for the development of age-friendly pocket parks.