Different user groups need varied park characteristics to encourage park exposure

Urban parks provide a platform for intimate contact with the natural environment, regarded as “park exposure”. Although previous research has found numerous benefits of park exposure to human health, it has overlooked the direct or indirect impact of park landscape characteristics, such as landscape features and services. To address this gap, this study aims to examine the relationship between park characteristics and park exposure, providing practical insights for park renewal strategies to enhance exposure. We took twelve urban parks in Beijing as examples and explored the mechanisms by which park landscape characteristics affect park exposure by analyzing 1808 questionnaire responses. Results reveal that there are four different groups among park users, and student youth have much less park exposure than the others. Multiple park characteristics are significantly related to respondents' exposure frequency and duration, with equipment, recreational activities (RA), and education (ED) being the most closely related variables. Moreover, the factors influencing park exposure frequency and duration vary across different social groups. This study deepens the understanding of factors influencing park exposure, revealing how landscape characteristics promote or limit individual contact with nature. The findings provide insights for optimizing parks based on user needs to enhance park exposure, thereby promoting the health benefits of urban parks.