The Effect of Group Activity Spaces in Community Parks on Social Interactions

Social interaction plays a vital role in fostering interpersonal relationships and building social cohesion. As primary venues for residents’ daily recreation and interactions, unlocking its potential for promoting social activities is essential for enhancing place attachment and advancing social well-being. This research selects typical community parks in Harbin as sample sites. Combining behavioral annotation and environmental observation, it visualizes group activities through digital behavior maps and evaluates social interaction levels through three indicators: social activeness, interpersonal distance, and social density. Kernel density estimation, correlation analysis, and variance analysis are employed to identify the environmental features that promote social interaction within community parks. The results indicate that the level of social interaction is significantly influenced by spaces and facilities: the addition of recreational facilities increases social activeness; adding paved surfaces and lighting tend to extend interpersonal distance, while a higher number of enclosure interfaces shortens it; and the increasing of convenience facilities contributes to higher social density. Moreover, discrete leisure spaces and linear boundary spaces are identified as primary hotspots of group activity. Based on these findings, this research proposes spatial optimization strategies that promote social interaction in community parks, to revitalize community parks through micro-scale spatial improvements, thereby encouraging broader social participation and enhancing residents’ physical and mental well-being.