Linking urban green infrastructure and tourist experience through pedestrian accessibility: evidence from a compact historic city

Urban green infrastructure (UGI) provides Cultural Ecosystem Services (CES), whose realisation depends on how people reach green space. However, in urban tourism, CES supply measurement remains static and geometrically simplified, particularly at the pedestrian scale. To address this limitation, this study develops a ‘Tourist-Oriented CES Delivery Framework’, grounded in the ‘Supply–Flow–Benefit’ logic, which defines UGI supply as network-contingent, determined by what the real pedestrian network makes reachable within a 15-minute walk of each Urban Tourist Attraction (UTA). Applied to Kumamoto City, Japan, the results indicate differentiated associations. UGI availability within pedestrian service areas is positively associated with tourist visitation intensity. In contrast, its association with sentiment expression is not statistically significant, implying that broader contextual and experiential factors may also be relevant. Spatial analysis reveals uneven alignment between ecological assets and tourism demand, with both high co-presence zones and service gaps. This study positions UGI conceptually as a potentially shared socio-ecological interface for tourists and residents. By operationalising network-contingent UGI supply, it illustrates how mobility structure may shape the translation of ecological assets into tourism benefits. The findings offer guidance for coordinating green infrastructure, tourism development, and community well-being in compact historic cities.