Sustainable Earth Trends

Sustainable Earth Trends

Assessing Visitor Satisfaction with Urban Parks and Its Implications for Sustainable Urban Planning: A Case Study of Kashmar, Iran

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors
1 Department of Water Sciences and Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Kashmar Higher Education Institute, Kashmar, Iran
2 Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Technical and Engineering, Kashmar Higher Education Institute, Kashmar, Iran
Abstract
This study aimed to assess visitor satisfaction with urban parks in Kashmar and identify the key factors influencing their park experience. The research was applied in purpose and descriptive-survey in design. Visitors were selected through convenience sampling, and data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire addressing demographic characteristics, visitation patterns, perceived safety, green-space quality, amenities, services, and overall satisfaction. Content validity was confirmed by experts, and reliability was established at an acceptable level using Cronbach’s alpha. After excluding incomplete responses, 201 valid questionnaires were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 26. Descriptive statistics, the Chi-square test, and the Mann–Whitney U test were used to examine satisfaction patterns and differences among parks and visitor groups. The results showed that visitors were generally moderately satisfied with Kashmar’s urban parks, with notable differences across satisfaction dimensions. Green-space quality, natural landscape, walking paths, and accessibility received the highest ratings, whereas amenities, lighting, and support services required improvement. Perceived safety, particularly at night, was also an important concern. The Chi-square test revealed significant differences among the studied parks in several satisfaction, facility, and environmental indicators (P < 0.05). The Mann–Whitney U test also identified significant differences in some components across visitor groups, indicating that individual characteristics and visitation patterns influence perceptions of park quality. Overall, satisfaction was shaped by the combined effects of environmental quality, amenities, safety, accessibility, management, and maintenance. The findings highlight the need for visitor-centered park planning, improved services and amenities, enhanced safety, infrastructure maintenance, citizen participation, and regular satisfaction monitoring.
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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 12 October 2026