Associations between child-friendly urban public space design features and early cognitive development in children aged 0–8 years

This exploratory cross-sectional study examined associations between public space design and cognitive outcomes in children aged 0-8 years, and whether these associations varied by age. Environmental features of 15 public spaces in Suzhou, China were audited, and 300 children in three age groups (0-2, 3-5, and 6-8 years) completed assessments of spatial cognition, language, attention, and executive function. Multiple regressions showed significant environment-cognition associations (adjusted R² = 0.38-0.54), although much explained variance reflected age and demographic controls. Hierarchical models indicated age moderation: equipment diversity and complexity were more strongly associated with spatial cognition and executive function in older children (ΔR² = 0.04-0.11), whereas social interaction zones were more strongly associated with language development in younger children (ΔR² = 0.09). Green coverage was positively associated with attention across age groups. Findings suggest developmentally differentiated associations and support age-sensitive child-friendly urban design, while precluding causal inference.