Restorative Perceptions of Migratory Elderly: Insights for Inclusive Urban Park Design in China

Yurui Chen^1,2Shureen Faris Abd Shukor^2*Suhardi Maulan²Adam Aruldewan S.Muthuveeran²

• ¹Department of Landscape Architecture, School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Xihua University, Chengdu, China
• ²Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Design and Architecture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

Migratory elderly—older adults who relocate to urban areas to live with their children—constitute a growing demographic shaped by global ageing and rapid urbanisation. Yet their restorative experiences in everyday urban nature remain under‑examined. This study investigates their preferred spatial features, factors shaping restorative perceptions, and design recommendations to enhance restorative outcomes in urban parks. We conducted semi‑structured interviews with 23 migratory elderly in two parks in Chengdu, China, and applied thematic analysis. Restorative perceptions clustered around three themes: (1) personal needs; (2) place‑related memory and identity; and (3) preferred spatial features. Compared with non‑migrants, the migratory elderly exhibited a stronger reliance on culturally familiar cues—such as native vegetation, agrarian water features, and traditional forms—which evoked nostalgia and supported attachments to both past and present places. Although participants employed self‑regulatory strategies and formed new attachments, unmet needs and usability conflicts (e.g., noise, activity clashes, and unclear wayfinding) constrained restorative benefits. Theoretically, extensions to restorative environment frameworks include the introduction of migration-related discontinuities as boundary conditions, the identification of a practice and community-mediated pathway to accelerated attachment, and the specification of a chain linking inclusive design to preferences, then to attachment, and ultimately to perceived restorativeness. Practically, we recommend a five‑stage approach: (1) Planning—participatory framing to balance active and quiet zones; (2) Spatial structure—a legible hierarchy with intuitive, barrier‑free links; (3) Facilities—provision of shade, seating, toilets, and lighting to balance recreation with safety and accessibility; (4) Social management—programming for solitary and group use that fosters cultural resonance; and (5) Maintenance—feedback‑driven adaptation with clear wayfinding and night‑time illumination. These findings underscore the value of culturally sensitive, inclusive park design in supporting psychological restoration among the migratory elderly in rapidly urbanising societies.