Perceived Stress and Restorative Environments: A Dual‐Theory Perspective on Quality of Life Among Generation Z

This study examines how urban parks enhance Generation Z's quality of life by integrating Stress and Coping Theory with Attention Restoration Theory. Data from 402 Generation Z residents in China were analyzed using PLS‐SEM. The results show that perceived stress increases coping behaviors, which strengthen perceptions of restorative environmental qualities. Among the restorative dimensions, being away, fascination, and compatibility positively influenced restorative experience, whereas extent was not significant. Being away, extent, and compatibility also improved quality of life, while fascination had no direct effect. Restorative experience significantly enhanced quality of life and mediated several relationships between restorative environmental qualities and well‐being outcomes. These findings extend tourism and restoration research by emphasizing active coping and the distinct effects of restorative environmental dimensions within urban nature‐based settings. Practical implications are offered for tourism planners, destination managers, and park practitioners seeking to enhance Generation Z's well‐being.