Public spaces are vital for urban living, contributing to the environmental, social, and economic aspects of city life. Hatirjheel Lakefront, a newly developed recreational area in Dhaka, offers significant potential for enhancing accessibility and connectivity in a rapidly urbanizing metropolis. This study aims to evaluate global and local integration of access routes and propose strategies to improve pedestrian and vehicular connectivity using Space Syntax methodology and DepthmapX V10 software. The key findings indicate that while Hatirjheel demonstrates strong global integration, regional integration remains moderate, with certain access roads being underutilized due to poor connectivity. Recommendations include enhancing integration through connecting dead-end roads, improving pedestrian pathways, and constructing foot-over bridges to mitigate vehicular traffic barriers. This study contributes to urban planning by providing actionable insights to optimize accessibility in public spaces, supporting recreational and economic activities. The findings are critical for creating a more integrated urban fabric in Dhaka, ensuring sustainable urban growth. This research provides actionable strategies for urban planners to optimize the use of public spaces, reinforcing the role of Hatirjheel as a vital component of Dhaka’s urban network.

Public open spaces have recently attracted significant attention in the national development programs aimed at improving urban livability and quality of life in Saudi Arabia. While many studies have examined the design quality of public open spaces in the country, a contextualized evaluation index that takes into account users’ preferences and the nation’s social context is still lacking. This gap calls for additional field studies to better understand users’ needs and their interactions with the current urban design practices of public open spaces. This study provides deeper insights into the design quality of public open spaces in Saudi Arabia. The study first identified 16 attributes of design quality of public open spaces, and then assessed a case study, Alrabie Park in Al-Khobar city, based on field observation and a survey of users’ satisfaction levels in relation to these quality attributes The findings revealed that the average of users’ satisfaction was 3.76 out of 5.0, indicating a neutral to satisfied response. Key strengths were noted in accessibility and users’ comfort, while areas needing improvement included environmental quality and amenities and services. The study recommends the development of a national evaluation index for public open spaces to create inclusive, safe, and vibrant environments that reflect Saudi Arabia’s urban and socio-cultural context. It also emphasizes the importance of community engagement in this regard to ensure that the design of public spaces aligns well with the users’ needs and helps to create sustainable urban spaces in the city.

Neighborhood parks have the potential to support urban health, social interaction, and environmental quality; however, their usability depends not only on perceived quality but also on conditions that may constrain their use. This study examines neighborhood park performance by integrating user satisfaction with park quality and perceived barriers to use across three neighborhood parks in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia. Park quality was assessed through six dimensions and 25 indicators derived from a thematic synthesis of the literature, while perceived barriers were examined across six categories covering environmental and climatic conditions, accessibility and mobility, safety and security, facilities and services, maintenance and environmental quality, and social and personal conditions. Field observations and surveys of 327 existing park users supported an exploratory comparison of quality satisfaction and perceived barriers; non-users were not represented. Results showed that Al Thuqba exhibited the greatest quality deficiencies and strongest overall barriers, while Al Rakah and Al Safa generally performed better. Environmental and climatic conditions emerged as the most prominent barriers across all three parks, particularly extreme heat and insufficient shade. At Al Thuqba, lower park-level satisfaction means for environmental quality, safety and recreational facilities occurred alongside higher perceived-barrier means. Climatic barriers remained prominent at Al Rakah and Al Safa despite comparatively positive quality evaluations. These aggregate patterns suggest site-specific assessment priorities; they do not establish individual-level relationships or effects on visitation. The combined assessment provides complementary descriptive evidence for planning the three parks and warrants testing in other settings.