Evaluation and Optimization Paths of Urban Underground Public Space Based on Thematization

Against the backdrop of the post-COVID-19 pandemic era, economic recovery is the most crucial task for countries worldwide. Through thematic design, underground public spaces can create spaces with unique themes and cultural atmospheres, attracting more citizens and tourists to visit and experience, promoting tourism and business development, and contributing to the recovery of the urban economy. In this paper, the IPA–Kano model is used to evaluate urban underground public spaces to understand the public’s preferences for further renovation and optimization, and underground theme blocks located in Shanghai, Chongqing, and Beijing are selected for comparison. Then, based on an analysis of the relationship between design elements and users’ subjective perception of underground theme blocks, three design elements, namely, basic, important, and attractive, are identified as having different impacts on underground theme blocks. Finally, the optimization path of the underground theme blocks is determined by integrating the actual performance of these three types of design elements. The study results point out that thematic storefront billboards and thematization of public facilities are the design elements that should be prioritized for improvement. The key elements affecting visitor satisfaction derived from this paper can be used as a guide for the design and renovation of similar projects in the future, as well as data support and a theoretical basis for future decision-makers.