Close contact with nature helps moderate public emotions and enhance happiness. As an important space for the public to connect with nature, the urban park waterfront environment plays a significant role. Studying the characteristics of landscape elements contributes to the optimization of the urban park natural environment. In this study, the waterfront spaces of 23 urban parks in Shenyang were selected in order to categorize urban park waterfront spaces from the perspective of landscape elements and to explore the relationship between the characteristics of landscape elements in different types of waterfront spaces and public visual satisfaction. Using qualitative analysis, typical spatial types were identified based on differences in landscape elements. Content analysis was used to extract and quantify the characteristics of landscape elements for various waterfront spaces. Through orthogonal experimental design, virtual scenarios were created to evaluate public satisfaction. Methods such as the least significant difference multiple comparison analysis (LSD) were applied to explore the effects of landscape element characteristics on satisfaction in different types and differences within groups. Among the four types of waterfront spaces identified in the experiment, the landscape elements that influenced spatial satisfaction were primarily concentrated in plant characteristics and pavement characteristics. In different types of spaces, the impact of landscape element factors at different levels varied. The study introduced virtual experiments to analyze the characteristics of landscape elements in waterfront spaces, which provided a new method for the satisfaction research of waterfront spaces. The results are a valuable guidance for the scientific classification of urban park waterfront spaces. A new perspective for enhancing the urban park waterfront landscape was supplied.

The urban street environment strongly influences pedestrian satisfaction, with visual perception elements playing a pivotal role. Historic districts serve not only as carriers of urban culture but also as key tourism resources, where spatial quality directly shapes visitor experience and city image. This study takes the Shenyang Fangcheng historic district as a case, combining field surveys and questionnaires to gather pedestrian satisfaction data, while applying semantic segmentation of street imagery to quantify visual elements. Using correlation analysis and multiple regression models, the research systematically reveals relationships and mechanisms linking visual elements with pedestrian satisfaction. Results show that an increase in landmark buildings and landscape features enhances legibility and attractiveness; optimizing spatial configuration improves openness and walking comfort; and reducing vehicle presence strengthens perceived safety and overall experiential quality. By integrating subjective perceptions with objective visual indicators, this study offers empirical evidence and methodological innovation to support enhancement of walkability and promote human-centered street design in historic districts.