Urban parks play a crucial role in enhancing the social interactions of older adults. However, despite the broad recognition of urban parks’ benefits, there is a notable gap in research focusing on their role in promoting social interactions, particularly in Asia. This study explores the effects of personal, social, and physical factors and park use patterns on older adults’ social interactions. Survey data from 589 older adults aged 50 years or older were collected through face-to-face and online questionnaires and were analyzed using a hierarchical multiple regression model. The results showed that personal factors, social factors, physical factors, and park use patterns explained 10.8%, 8.2%, 9.4%, and 2.3% of the total variance in park social interactions, respectively. Key factors like gender, health status, social cohesion, features, conditions, accessibility, and park use patterns were found to significantly influence these interactions. This study provides empirical evidence to support the important role of urban parks in facilitating social interactions among older adults and contributes to a deeper understanding of the complex factors affecting these interactions. To meet the needs of older adults and maximize the social health benefits, these prominent factors should be emphasized in policy development and interventions, integrating older adults’ perceptions and personal experiences.

With increased atmospheric temperature, temperatures in the shade of trees in parks also increase, and people are faced with high temperature challenges. In this study, thermal comfort in the shade of the trees of an urban park during summer in China was assessed. The subjective responses of the respondents were recorded via questionnaires, and environment parameters were measured. The results show that the air temperature in the shade was 31.1 ± 3.0 °C during the day, and that it peaked at 36.9 °C; the globe temperature was 31.3 ± 3.1 °C, and it peaked at 40.1 ℃. Respondents’ clothing insulation was 0.31 ± 0.08 clo, and the effect of clothing adjustment on thermal adaptation was limited. Thermal sensation is linearly related to standard effective temperature (SET), and the upper limit of 80% acceptable SET was 32.1 °C. At different temperature values, the proportion of expected airflow enhancement exceeded 50%. The respondents preferred a neutral-warm sensation. Moreover, there was an obvious thermal adaptation, with thermal history and psychological adaptation being the main factors affecting thermal comfort. This study confirmed the value of shade and provided us with guidance for park planning and design.

College students' sedentary and inactive lifestyles often lead to health issues like obesity and depression. The campus-built environment is crucial for encouraging college students' walking behavior, directly impacting their physical and mental health. However, it is unclear to what extent the campus-built environment characteristics contribute to college students' walking behavior. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the influence of campus-built environment characteristics on college students' walking behaviour. Utilizing the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS) and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), this study collected data from 687 students at two universities in China through a questionnaire survey and analysed the data using multiple regression techniques. The results show that land use diversity, accessibility, and infrastructure significantly influence walking behavior, totally explaining 26.3% of the variance. These findings highlight the importance of a walkable campus environment in promoting college students' walking behaviour, which is beneficial to their physical and mental health. Consequently, this study provides empirical evidence on specific built environment characteristics that encourage walking, serving as a valuable resource for future campus planning and health-promotion policy development.

Walking, a physical activity beneficial for both physical and mental health, is influenced by various factors. Although previous studies have acknowledged that walking behavior is influenced by environmental and psychosocial factors, little is known about their interactions. Based on a socio-ecological model and focusing on Chinese college students, the purpose of this study was to examine the influence of campus walkability and psychosocial factors on college students’ walking behavior, including the interactions between these factors. This study seeks to enhance understanding of how to promote walking behavior through campus environmental design and psychological interventions. Multiple regression analysis was conducted on the questionnaire data. Findings revealed that campus walkability significantly influenced both walking behaviors, alongside psychosocial factors such as attitude, self-efficacy, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and subject norms. Additionally, significant differences in interaction effects between these factors were observed for purposeful versus recreational walking behaviors. These interactions suggest that campus walkability more substantially promotes walking behavior in students with negative psychosocial factors, whereas its impact is less pronounced in those with positive psychosocial factors. The results underscore the need to focus not only on developing walkable environments but also on understanding the synergies with the psychosocial factors of target populations, offering crucial insights for campus planning and health promotion practices.