Page 41 - JCAU-6-1

Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Perception of pedestrian environment

Figure 7. The environmental factors affecting walking perception. Source: Illustration by the authors

find the environment of Gulangyu satisfactory, residents (Landorf, 2009). Tourists typically travel at a slower pace
tend to express higher levels of satisfaction, likely due to and approach walking with an exploratory attitude, making
their sense of belonging to the residential community and micro-environmental factors with a more significant
a deeper understanding of Gulangyu (Cao et al., 2006). impact on tourists’ travel experiences (Vojnovic, 2006).
According to the results of the ordered logistic regression On the other hand, improving the walking environment
analysis, the environmental factors that enhance the for residents has been proven to promote better walking
walking perception of residents and tourists were identified. behavior and experiences, along with increasing residents’
The architecture of Gulangyu, including heritage buildings sense of belonging to the city and community (Cao et al.,
and their maintenance, as well as the esthetics of façades, 2006; Harumain et al., 2020; Hoehner et al., 2005).
plays a critical role in the walking experience (Ewing & The findings of this study reveal that the perception of
Handy, 2009). In addition, lighting and pedestrian comfort recreational tourists and residents engaging in recreational
were identified as crucial factors for the island’s residents walking can be significantly influenced by environmental
but are currently lacking in these aspects (Ewing et al., factors in heritage cities. Furthermore, there are variations
2016). Improving lighting in residential areas and creating in the factors that impact these two groups. These findings
a more walkable environment could encourage more offer concrete recommendations for the field of urban
leisurely walking among the locals. Conversely, tourists design. In future, urban revitalization and conservation
prioritize factors such as roads’ cleanliness, pleasurable strategies, urban planners, and relevant governmental
walking, and the signage system; thus, a clean environment agencies may prioritize environmental factors that
would provide a more comfortable visit (Yang et al., 2020). influence the perceptions of both residents and tourists. The
The pleasure of walking is enhanced through spaces and study aims to contribute to making heritage cities healthier
facilities such as parks and squares, where individuals communities and more attractive visitor destinations. In
can rest and engage in social activities (Tan et al., 2020). addition, since many heritage cities in China are designed
The absence of a signage system in historic areas can lead as pedestrian-only destinations, placing a high demand
to detours, lost destinations, and repeated walks due to on the pedestrian environment (Yang et al., 2020), the
intricate roads. Therefore, developing a well-designed methodology and findings of this study may be applied
signage system would allow tourists to create routes and to other heritage cities in China to enhance the walking
complete their journeys efficiently. experience of both residents and tourists and promote
6. Conclusion sustainable development in the future.

Walkability studies provide valuable insights for Acknowledgments
researchers seeking to understand the dynamics of heritage None.
areas and the diverse walking practices among residents
and tourists (Svensson, 2021). This paper mainly studies Funding
the spatial elements of residential communities and the
tourism environment to improve the walking perception This paper is partially funded by the University Malaya
of both residents and tourists. Many researchers have RMF Grant (RMF0210-2021).
proposed that the contradiction between residents and Conflict of interest
tourists arises in heritage cities, representing a collision
between historical living spaces and tourism development All authors disclosed no relevant relationships.

Volume 6 Issue 1 (2024) 9 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.1879