Climate change perception and pro-environmental behavior among urban park visitors: the mediating role of place attachment.

OBJECTIVES

This study investigates how climate change perception influences pro-environmental behavior-on-site (park-specific) and off-site (daily life)-among urban park visitors, focusing on the mediating role of place attachment (place identity, place dependence, and social bonding).

METHODS

A survey was conducted with 351 adults engaging in walking and running at Namsan Park in Seoul. Measures included climate change perception, place attachment, and pro-environmental behaviors. Structural equation modeling and bootstrapping were used for analysis.

RESULTS

Climate change perception significantly predicted all three dimensions of place attachment. Place identity and social bonding mediated the relationship between climate change perception and both types of pro-environmental behavior. Place dependence was significantly associated with on-site, but not off-site, pro-environmental behavior.

CONCLUSION

Place attachment serves as a key mechanism linking climate concern to sustainable actions in leisure settings. Strengthening emotional and social bonds to urban parks may enhance both localized and general pro-environmental behaviors, offering practical implications for urban sustainability strategies.