The research site is a 42,077 m² urban cultural park located in Gangnam-dong, Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do. Formerly the location of the now-defunct Jinju Railway Station, the site originally opened in 1925 and operated for 87 years until its relocation in 2012. It functioned as a central transportation hub for both the Jinju-Masan Line (1925) and the Jinju-Suncheon Line (1968). In the 1930s, the surrounding area was home to rice mills and factories, serving as the economic heart of Jinju’s old downtown. However, it gradually declined due to new town development and changes to the transportation system. According to the population distribution in the urban plan established in 1941, the area that now includes Gangnam-dong had the highest population density (Jinju Statistical Yearbook, 2025). This suggests that the area functioned as a central urban district at the time, serving both residential and commercial purposes. The “Jinju Urban Redevelopment Plan,” formulated in 1969, designated 1986 as its target year and laid out a long-term framework for urban restructuring. While the development of new towns expanded the urbanized areas, the population in old districts-including the area surrounding the former railway station-began to decline, resulting in a gradual process of urban hollowing. Following the station’s relocation in 2012, the site remained abandoned for a decade, becoming a symbol of the decline of the old downtown area. In 2019, a comprehensive urban regeneration project was launched, and by 2022, the site was transformed into a railway cultural park. This transformation goes beyond mere physical redevelopment, functioning as a catalyst for the revitalization of the surrounding region (Kim and Jeong, 2025).

Jinju Railway Culture Park (JRCP) was established through the “Former Jinju Railway Station Site Regeneration Project,” which was implemented from 2019 to 2022. Recognized as an official urban regeneration initiative by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in 2020, the project secured a total budget of 6 billion KRW (Jinju City, 2025; LAK, 2025). It pursued three primary objectives: revitalizing the aging and underdeveloped residential areas of the old downtown; providing a public space for citizens to relax and engage in emotional well-being; and creating a tourism hub centered on the area's historical and cultural assets.

Meanwhile, the urban regeneration plan prioritized preserving the original traces of the site-steeped in centuries of collective memory-over introducing entirely new elements. The primary objective was to retain as much of the original character of the former Jinju Railway Station as possible, enabling local residents to revisit and cherish their memories of the place. In addition to the central station building and the old maintenance depot, several historically significant elements were preserved as symbolic landmarks for the community, despite having lost their original functions. These include the train carriages, the turntable used to rotate trains, the passenger platform, the ginkgo trees lining the perimeter, and the Zelkova pavilion located at the rear of the station.

The newly created JRCP restored the demolished tracks, transforming them into a space for walking and relaxation. By integrating these elements into everyday life, citizens were given opportunities to engage with the site's history, share intergenerational memories, and experience a sense of nostalgia. Furthermore, the former station building, maintenance depot, and platform were repurposed into spaces for exhibitions and performances-places where memories of the past are honored and visions for future culture are nurtured (LAK, 2025). As a result, a variety of community-oriented spaces were established, including the Centennial Forest, Nature Playground, Toad Wetland, Turntable, Community Gardens, Centennial Lawn, Maintenance Depot, Platform, Outdoor Exhibition Area, and Square No. 1 (Fig. 1 and 2).

JRCP is an urban park developed through urban regeneration and embodies the functional concept of a cultural park (Fig. 3). The park's purpose is to revitalize surrounding residential areas, promote relaxation and emotional well-being, create a complex cultural space, and serve as a tourism hub by leveraging the region’s historical and cultural resources. Based on these objectives, the following two research questions are proposed. First, to what extent does the park effectively fulfill the functional roles of green spaces typically found in urban parks-such as promoting health, relaxation, recreation, and social gatherings? Second, as a cultural park developed through the adaptive reuse of an abandoned railway site, does this park effectively fulfill its functions of providing relaxation and education to urban residents by utilizing the region’s cultural characteristics?

This study conducted a self-administered survey of visitors to JRCP between September and November 2024. The questionnaire was designed to address the two primary research questions outlined above. As shown in Table 1, the survey comprised seven domains: socio-demographic backgrounds, behaviors, purpose of visit, satisfaction with the park as an urban park, importance-performance analysis (IPA) of attributes related to its role as a cultural park, intention to revisit and continued use, and analysis of keywords associated with park perception. Of the collected responses, a total of 112 fully completed responses were included in the statistical analysis. Statistical analyses, including frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, and IPA, were performed using SPSS Statistics 27 (Kim and Huh, 2019; Martilla and James, 1977; Park et al., 2022).

In the IPA, the 19 survey items were reorganized into four overarching factors to enhance the clarity of the analysis and interpretation (Kim and Ahn, 2004; Kim and Lee, 2013; Kim and Lee, 2018; Park and Choi, 2017; Suh et al., 2012). This categorization was guided by a conceptual framework and empirical findings from previous studies, which provided the basis for the operational definitions. The specific definitions and corresponding references are as follows:

Through an IPA, we assessed users’ perceptions of the importance and performance of key attributes of the park as a cultural space. Based on this assessment, we proposed strategic measures for improvement or reinforcement, employing the IPA technique originally introduced by Martilla and James (1977). Although initially developed to enhance the service quality of automobile dealerships, the IPA technique has since been widely applied in various fields, including management, marketing, and tourism (Jeong and Seo, 2010; Kim and Huh, 2019). The IPA technique is typically visualized on a two-dimensional grid divided into four quadrants: Quadrant I includes attributes rated high in both importance and performance; Quadrant II consists of attributes with high importance but low performance; Quadrant III contains elements perceived as low in both importance and performance; and Quadrant IV comprises attributes with low importance but high performance. Each quadrant suggests a distinct strategic perspective as follows: Quadrant I represents “Keep Up the Good Work,” suggesting that current performance should be maintained; Quadrant II is labeled “Concentrate Here,” indicating areas that require priority improvement; Quadrant III reflects “Low Priority,” requiring minimal attention; and Quadrant IV is considered “Possible Overkill,” where efforts may exceed their perceived value. The key cultural attributes-sociality, symbolism, touristic value, and historical/cultural value-were selected based on previous studies, and corresponding survey items were also developed to assess these aspects (Kim and Ahn, 2004; Kim and Lee, 2013; Kim and Lee, 2018; Oh and Lee, 2018; Park and Choi, 2017; Suh et al., 2012). Satisfaction with functional convenience was assessed in relation to spatial components, specifically planting and facilities: the survey items were designed to evaluate satisfaction with the functional performance of these elements only. Intention to revisit and continued use were measured through items related to revisit intention, visit recommendation, and the revitalization of residential areas (Chae and Kim, 2020; Lee et al., 2019; Oh and Lee, 2018).

Keyword analysis in this study is grounded in conceptual metaphor theory (Lakoff and Johnson, 1980), which posits that language reflects underlying human cognitive structures, and the environmental psychological perspective that emphasizes how place-identity is constructed and expressed through language (Lewicka, 2011; Proshansky et al., 1983). Recent studies reveal that spatial meanings can be inferred from non-spatial textual terms (Abbasi et al., 2023). Additionally, Liu et al. (2024) validated user-generated keywords as effective tools for analyzing urban parks' functional characteristics and perceived attractiveness. As such, collecting keywords via open-ended questions offers the advantage of capturing users’ spontaneous and intuitive perceptions, which structured, closed-ended questions often fail to reveal. In this study, keyword analysis was based on responses to open-ended questions included in a structured questionnaire. A total of 316 freely generated keywords were collected and subjected to frequency analysis. For visualization, the Python word cloud library was used, with the font size scaled proportionally to word frequency, allowing for a clear visual hierarchy of commonly mentioned terms.

Gender distribution was relatively balanced, with 48.2% male and 51.8% female respondents (Table 2). The age distribution was also even, spanning individuals in their 20s to 50s, accounting for 17.9% to 21.4% in each respective group. Among the respondents, 91.1% were residents of Jinju, of whom 74.8% had resided in the city for over a decade. In terms of proximity to the park, 55.4% of respondents lived within 1 km, while 44.7% resided at or beyond 1 km. This suggests a user base comprising both local neighborhood residents and individuals from broader urban areas. Unlike other parks in Jinju, which are primarily frequented by individuals aged 50 and older, this park features a relatively diverse age distribution among its users (Heo et al., 2017). This pattern is similar to that observed in the Yeonnam-dong section of Gyeongui Line Forest Park in Seoul, as well as in seven major urban parks in Busan (Oh and Lee, 2018; Kim, 2012). The park’s balanced usage across all age groups reflects characteristics typical of cultural parks, in contrast to neighborhood parks that tend to cater predominantly to elderly populations. Overall, these findings align with those of Suh et al. (2012), who studied Dongdaemun History and Culture Park in Seoul.

To assess satisfaction with the park’s functional convenience, a reliability analysis was conducted, grouping the variables into three categories: planting, facilities, and construction and operation (Table 5). All variable groups associated with each attribute showed Cronbach’s α values above 0.8, indicating acceptable reliability of the responses (Lee and Lim, 2023). Overall, satisfaction with the park’s green spaces and facilities was rated as high. A high level of satisfaction was also observed in relation to their design, physical structures, maintenance, and operation. Satisfaction with planting was high, averaging 3.91. Among the planting-related attributes, satisfaction with the “overall green space” was the highest at 4.15. This was followed by high scores for “seasonality” (4.12) and “size of flower beds” (3.92). In contrast, satisfaction with the “types of trees” (3.82) and the “amount of shade provided by trees” (3.67) was comparatively lower. The satisfaction score for facilities was high, with an average of 3.98. Within this category, satisfaction with “overall facilities” was also high, at 3.99. Notably, aspects such as slope, stroller and wheelchair accessibility, pedestrian path width, and pavement materials for walking all scored above 4.0. However, satisfaction with the size and height of signage was the lowest among facility-related items, at 3.73. Satisfaction with construction and operation was relatively high, with an average score of 4.02. Within this category, “overall use” received the highest rating (4.08), followed by “design and physical structures” (4.02) and “maintenance” (3.95).

However, satisfaction levels were not consistently high across all categories. In particular, tree diversity, summer shade, and the signage system received relatively low ratings, highlighting areas in need of improvement. While the park’s overall physical layout and operations were positively evaluated, these findings indicate that certain aspects fall short of meeting users’ specific needs. In particular, to better address the challenges posed by summer heat, increased shade and a more diverse selection of trees are necessary. Additionally, enhancements to the park’s information delivery system are also required.

These findings align with trends observed in other parks developed on reclaimed railway sites, both domestically and internationally. Oh and Lee (2018) identified accessibility and amenities as key factors contributing to user satisfaction in Seoul’s Gyeongui Line Forest Park. Similarly, JRCP also demonstrated high satisfaction levels in terms of pedestrian accessibility and available amenities, suggesting shared strengths between the two sites. Furthermore, Wang and Hu (2024) analyzed Shaping Park in Chongqing, China, and found that high-quality landscaping and the presence of natural elements were critical to user satisfaction. This study also confirmed that “seasonality” and the “aesthetic appeal of flower beds” received high satisfaction ratings, further supporting the conclusion that nature-friendly elements are key determinants of user satisfaction. Therefore, in order for JRCP to sustain and enhance user satisfaction, it is essential to maintain its current strengths-particularly its natural features-while addressing existing shortcomings, such as insufficient shaded areas, limited tree diversity, and the need for improved signage and guidance systems.

Prior to conducting the IPA analysis, a reliability analysis was performed to assess the internal consistency of the variables grouped under each attribute. The results indicated that the social, touristic, and historical/cultural factors all exhibited Cronbach’s α values above .80, while the symbolic factor showed a value above .70, thereby demonstrating acceptable internal consistency across all attributes (Table 6). These results suggest a satisfactory level of reliability (Lee and Lim, 2023). Based on this analysis, the 19 variables were classified into four attributes-social, symbolic, touristic, and historical/cultural-for further interpretation.

The results of the IPA analysis for each attribute are as follows. In terms of sociality, the mean values for importance and performance were 3.75 and 3.43, respectively, indicating the largest discrepancy between importance and performance among the four attributes, as well as the lowest level of perceived performance. The relatively low performance scores for the variables “I often encounter the same people in the park (X1),” “There should be participatory public programs (X3),” and “Information on exhibitions and performances should be easily available (X5)” suggest that the park's function as a space for social interaction is not being fully utilized. Although users acknowledged the importance of fostering social relationships through exhibitions and performances, participatory public programs, cultural spaces, and local community spaces, they perceived the actual performance of these aspects to be lacking. Regarding symbolism, the mean values for importance and performance were 3.95 and 3.81, respectively. Among the variables, “I can experience nature (X12)” recorded the highest importance score at 4.21. This suggests that, in an urban context, users appear to perceive access to nature as the most important symbolic element of the park. The variable “There should be unique features of Jinju Railway Culture Park (X8)” also showed high scores for both importance (4.19) and performance (4.13). In addition, gathering spaces within the park were perceived as highly symbolic. On the other hand, although landmarks and photo zones-which serve as symbolic representations of the park-were rated relatively low in importance, their perceived performance was even lower. In terms of touristic value, the mean values for importance and performance were 3.92 and 3.72, respectively. The variable “The park should be an interesting space as a tourist destination (X15)” showed scores of 4.02 for importance and 3.69 for performance. This indicates that although users recognize the importance of the park as an engaging tourist destination, its perceived performance in this regard is relatively low. These findings suggest that users expect the park to serve as a regional tourism resource, extending beyond its role as a typical green space. With regard to historical and cultural value, the mean values for importance and performance were 3.99 and 3.90, respectively. The variable “The park should contain the story of the past well (X16)” received high scores for both importance (4.05) and performance (4.00), as did the variable “Old things should be kept in the park (X17)”, with scores of 4.04 and 3.97, respectively. These consistently high scores and small discrepancies indicate that the park’s historical context is not only regarded as significant by users but is also, to some extent, being fulfilled, through on-site experiences. However, while users recognize the importance of experiencing local history and culture within the park, they perceive the performance in this area to be relatively low.

Among the evaluated attributes, historical and cultural value ranked highest in both importance and performance, with the smallest difference between the two. Symbolism also received relatively high scores. However, sociality ranked lowest in both importance and performance, exhibiting the largest difference between them. This indicates that while users regard historical and cultural aspects as relatively significant, social functions are perceived as less important. Nevertheless, users do recognize the importance of fostering social connections through exhibitions, performances, participatory public programs, cultural spaces, and local community spaces. However, the perceived performance in these areas remains low, suggesting that the park’s potential role in promoting social interaction is not being fully realized.

According to Kim (2019), user evaluations of JRCP’s sociality, symbolism, and touristic value are slightly lower than those of the High Line Park in New York, but higher than those of Gyeongui Line Forest Park in Seoul. Notably, users rated JRCP’s historical and cultural value higher than that of both comparison sites. Kang (2011) suggested that the High Line Park preserves many aspects of the original railway, and that its design team encourages visitors to encounter remnants of the past in indirect and subtle ways, rather than directly. Kim (2019) reported user satisfaction scores of 3.75 and 2.97, respectively, for the variable “the space effectively conveys the story of the past” in the High Line Park and Gyeongui Line Forest Park. Similarly, satisfaction scores for “the space preserves old elements” were 3.79 and 2.80, respectively. These differences in evaluation may, in part, be attributed to variations in user demographics. While the majority of JRCP users are local residents, visitors to the High Line Park and Gyeongui Line Forest Park often include individuals from other regions or international tourists. In particular, perceptions of historical and cultural value are likely to differ between local residents-who may have deeper prior knowledge of the site-and non-local visitors, who may lack such contextual understanding. Nevertheless, the performance of JRCP in terms of its cultural attributes can generally be assessed as strong. Moreover, as noted by Kim et al. (2024), symbolic devices such as photo zones serve to concretize visitor experiences and enhance spatial perception. Therefore, such features should be considered strategic tools for simultaneously reinforcing the park’s symbolic presence and its touristic appeal.

The strategic plans for the prioritized improvement and reinforcement of JRCP, based on the IPA technique, are as follows. Overall, for all four attributes, perceived importance was found to be higher than the corresponding performance. This suggests that, in general, users’ expectations are not being fully met in terms of actual performance or satisfaction (Fig. 4). Specifically, the variables related to social attributes are located in Quadrants II and III. Among these, ease of access to information on exhibitions and performances (X4) and provision of spaces for cultural engagement (X5) fall into the “Concentrate Here” category, suggesting that these elements should be prioritized from a strategic perspective (Jeong and Seo, 2025; Lee et al., 2019). The remaining social variables are positioned in the “Low Priority” category, indicating that users perceive social features as relatively less important. Consequently, efforts to improve performance in these areas have been limited. Although the community functions of JRCP are currently underdeveloped and users do not appear to have high expectations regarding its social role, it remains important to gradually enhance these functions over the long term through the introduction of community programs and participatory events involving local residents. With the exception of the park’s uniqueness (X7), variables associated with symbolic attributes are located in Quadrants I and III. Uniqueness of the park (X7) falls under the “Possible Overkill” category. In contrast, symbolism related to unique features as a railway culture park (X8), social gathering spaces (X9), and natural elements (X12) falls into the “Keep Up the Good Work” category, suggesting that these aspects should be consistently maintained. Meanwhile, photo zones (X10) and landmarks (X11) are categorized as “Low Priority.” The variables related to touristic attributes are located in Quadrants II and IV. The park’s value as a tourist destination and its tourism components (X14) fall into the “Possible Overkill” category. In contrast, presence of engaging or interesting spaces as a tourism destination (X15) is placed in the “Concentrate Here” category, highlighting the need for focused improvement. All variables related to historical and cultural attributes are located in Quadrant I, corresponding to the “Keep Up the Good Work” category, indicating the need to maintain the current level of performance. It also suggests that the historical and cultural value of the park is well recognized by visitors, and that the park’s development, operation, and management are being carried out relatively effectively. In this context, while maintaining the current performance level, consideration could be given to further enhancing the visitor experience through interactive programs, visual guides, and enriched interpretive content.

In terms of the park's sustainability, high scores were also observed for “willingness to revisit,” reflecting users’ intention to continue using the park (Table 7). Respondents gave high ratings for statements such as “I will visit the park again” (4.21) and “I will recommend the park” (4.17), indicating a strong desire to return. Additionally, the high score for “I will continue to use the park in the future” (4.19) suggests that the park has become an established leisure space for local residents.

Such willingness to revisit serves as an indicator that the park functions not as a short-term tourist attraction, but as a meaningful everyday space for the local community. According to Kim (2023), other urban regeneration projects-such as the Pohang Railway Forest-have similarly found that park usage positively influences local social capital and resident satisfaction. Therefore, to ensure that the Jinju Railway Culture Park (JRCP) continues to contribute to local revitalization, it will be important to consistently enhance programs and facilities that promote social interaction, alongside the historical and cultural elements that have already received high satisfaction. Comparisons with international cases also provide valuable insights. For example, the 1.3–1.46 million annual visits to The 606 in Chicago (Gobster et al., 2017) and the sustained usage of Berlin Nature Park (Kowarik and Langer, 2005; Sim et al., 2020) highlight the importance of program diversity and community engagement. To translate the high willingness to revisit JRCP into actual behavior, it will be necessary to strengthen programs that promote social interaction.

A keyword analysis identified 110 unique keywords. Table 8 and Fig. 5 present the frequency of keywords mentioned by users of JRCP. The results showed a consistent tendency with the Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA). In particular, the historical/cultural attribute, which showed high importance and performance in the IPA, was reflected in keywords such as ‘train,’ and ‘memory’ with high frequency. Conversely, the social attribute, which exhibited low performance, was confirmed to be associated with keywords like ‘friendly’ and ‘outing’ with low frequency.

The keywords “train” and “railway” were the most frequently cited, appearing 28 times (8.9%) and 25 times (7.9%), respectively. This indicates that users distinctly perceive JRCP as a redeveloped, former railway station. Additionally, keywords associated with relaxation and strolling, such as “rest” and “stroll,” were each mentioned 16 times (5.1%), confirming that JRCP serves as an urban park for everyday leisure activities.

Comparing these keyword analysis results with previous studies on major urban parks in Seoul reveals several important implications. First, the high frequency of keywords related to “stroll” and “rest” is a common phenomenon observed in Seoul Forest, Seonyudo Park, and Yeouido Park (Lee and Son, 2021; Sa, 2024), confirming that the universal functions of urban parks are consistently observed regardless of region or park characteristics. However, a key characteristic of JRCP is that railway-related identity keywords-“train” (8.9%) and “railway” (7.9%)-rank highest. This suggests that the park’s unique identity is strongly reflected in user perception, similar to how “forest” keywords define Seoul Forest and “Han River” keywords characterize Seonyudo Park (Sa, 2024).

However, unlike Seoul Forest, which embodies its identity through experiential programs such as the “Deer” and “Butterfly Garden,” and Olympic Park, which utilizes its complex facilities like the stadium and museum as spaces for cultural events (Lee and Son, 2021), JRCP’s strong railway identity has not been effectively translated into tangible user experiences. This gap is evident as the visitation purpose of 'exploring railway history' scored only 2.71, despite railway-related keywords ranking highest (Table 4).

Just as successful urban parks in Seoul have integrated their identities into engaging programs to promote diverse usage, JRCP should move beyond the mere physical preservation of its railway elements and transform this identity into meaningful experiential content. For instance, Seoul Forest’s ecological programs, Olympic Park’s cultural and artistic events, and Yangjae Citizen’s Forest’s strategy of linking with surrounding commercial areas serve as valuable examples that JRCP can draw upon. (Lee and Son, 2021; Park and An, 2021; Sa, 2024)

Notably, most of the emotional keywords visualized in the analysis reflect positive sentiment. This aligns with the 74–93% proportion of 4–5 star ratings (satisfied to very satisfied) for major urban parks in Seoul on Google Maps (Lee and Son, 2021), confirming the generally favorable public perception of urban parks.