Moderating Effects of Park Accessibility and External Environment on Park Satisfaction in a Mountainous City

Urban parks play a vital role in enhancing residents’ well-being, making it essential for decision-makers and designers to understand the factors influencing park satisfaction to improve park attributes. While existing studies primarily focus on internal park characteristics, this study investigates the diverse ways that external environmental factors influence park satisfaction. Using moderated regression models, we examined six factors, i.e., the quality of neighborhood compound greenspaces, perceived home–park distance, walking difficulty, the convenience of coordinating other trips, external environmental quality, and perceived travel safety, in Chongqing, China. Based on an intercept survey of 301 residents, five factors significantly impacted park satisfaction. Notably, the quality of compound greenspaces and trip coordination convenience were critical determinants, showing large correlations with satisfaction. Enhancing environmental quality and travel safety along access routes is also crucial, as they directly enhance satisfaction and moderate the impacts of internal park quality. Reducing walking difficulties can encourage frequent park visits and strengthen the relationship between internal park quality and satisfaction. Interestingly, the perceived home–park distance had minimal impact, likely because the parks studied were in close proximity to participants’ homes. These findings highlight the importance of holistically considering both internal and external factors in urban park planning and design. Future research should explore additional external factors in diverse urban contexts.