ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Environmental Health and Exposome
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1695578
This article is part of the Research TopicNational Park Health Value and Natural TherapyView all 3 articles
Optimization of Hunhe Waterfront Parks in Shenyang Based on Attention Restoration Theory
Provisionally accepted
Yifei Wang1*
Jingmei Zhai2*- 1Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- 2Yantai Municipal Bureau of Natural Resources and Planning, Yantai, China
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In the context of rapid urbanization and increasing environmental pressures, the physical and mental health of urban residents has become a pressing concern, and the health-promoting value of public open spaces has garnered heightened attention. Urban waterfront parks, with their rich ecological resources and scenic qualities, are uniquely positioned to support stress relief and health restoration. This study examines seven waterfront parks along both banks of the Hun River in Shenyang, China, applying the Attention Restoration Theory to investigate their restorative characteristics and to explore spatial optimization pathways. First, the study systematically reviews the core components of restorative environments and summarizes spatial features that facilitate restoration, considering the specific health needs of diverse user groups. Second, an evaluation index system is established, integrating perceptual environmental attributes and behavioral experience factors. Principal component analysis and correlation analysis are employed to identify key environmental determinants of restorative effects. Based on the evaluation results, the seven parks are classified into three types-socially interactive-oriented, psychologically restorative–oriented, and physiologically restorative-oriented-reflecting the dominant health restoration dimension for each site. Finally, differentiated and targeted spatial optimization strategies are proposed for each park type, focusing on enhancing natural elements, activity facilities, and social engagement to maximize health benefits. The findings provide both theoretical insights and practical guidance for health-oriented planning and design of urban waterfront parks in high-density city contexts, highlighting considerations for multidimensional restorative outcomes.
Keywords: Waterfront park, Attention Restoration Theory, Restorative Environmental Factors, Multidimensional evaluation model, healthy cities, The Hun River
Received: 30 Aug 2025; Accepted: 20 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wang and Zhai. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Yifei Wang, wyf320@tongji.edu.cn
Jingmei Zhai, a15942042541@163.com
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