Exploring ecological and cultural determinants of age-friendly rural spaces: evidence from Guojiazhuang and Dongquan villages, Jinan, China

As the global population ages, rural public spaces have become increasingly important for promoting health, well-being, and social participation. However, many existing age-friendly practices focus primarily on physical accessibility, overlooking the ecological and cultural elements that shape sensory experiences and emotional connections. This study uses PLS-SEM analysis of 337 rural elderly samples from two villages in Jinan, supported by behavioural observations, to examine how ecological experience and cultural identity jointly influence spatial perception, perceived health effects, and spatial satisfaction in rural public spaces. The results show that ecological experience strongly enhances both cultural identity and spatial perception, highlighting the importance of multi-sensory natural environments in creating age-friendly spaces. Cultural identity and spatial perception further enhance perceived health outcomes, confirming that emotional belonging and spatial accessibility directly contribute to well-being. Perceived health effects play a central mediating role, exerting the strongest influence on spatial satisfaction and forming a closed-loop mechanism of “ecology – perception – health – satisfaction.” The model explains a substantial proportion of variance in health effects (60%) and spatial satisfaction (66.6%), with good fit indicators confirming its robustness. Overall, the study advances theoretical understanding of ecological healing and cultural identity while providing practical guidance for designing sustainable, age-friendly rural environments aligned with SDG goals.