Perception and drivers of cultural ecosystem services in waterfront green spaces: Insights from social media text analysis

Abstract

With urbanization accelerating, waterfront green spaces—as critical interfaces between nature and human systems—play an essential role in delivering cultural ecosystem services (CES) that support sustainable urban development. This study employed content analysis and text mining techniques on social media platforms to collect 102,586 user-generated comments on 51 waterfront green spaces along the Huangpu River and Suzhou Creek in Shanghai, China. We constructed CES and landscape element dictionaries, applied sentiment analysis to measure emotional responses, and classified user reviews by CES frequency. Key influencing factors were identified through multiple linear regression. The findings reveal that: (1) Ten CES categories were identified, and the public generally expressed a positive attitude toward the CES provided by waterfront green spaces, with an average satisfaction score of 90.14 %. The perception frequencies of recreation (0.68), aesthetic (0.67), and naturalist (0.62) emerged as the primary motivations for visitation; (2) Waterfront green spaces were categorized into four types based on CES perception frequencies: history and culture-led, sports and health-led, naturalist-led, and CES-balanced spaces; (3) Key factors influencing public satisfaction were identified. Among natural landscape elements, flowers and lawns, water bodies, and topography and rocking formations contributed to satisfaction in three CES categories. Among artificial elements, roads and squares, built structures, and transportation facilities were linked to satisfaction in five, four, and three CES categories, respectively. Interestingly, pets also emerged as a notable factor, contributing to satisfaction in five CES categories. This study provides empirical insights into public CES preferences and offers practical guidance for the planning and management of waterfront green spaces.