Entrance Space Evaluation and Optimization in Industrial Heritage-Based Cultural and Creative Parks: A Cultural Perception Theory-Based Approach

Industrial heritage-based cultural and creative parks (IHCCPs) have become an important approach to adaptive reuse and sustainable urban regeneration in post-industrial cities. As the primary interface between the city and the park, entrance spaces play a critical role in shaping visitors’ first impressions, place identity, and cultural perception. Drawing on Cultural Perception Theory, this study investigates the entrance spaces of four representative IHCCPs in China using field surveys, questionnaire surveys, and a modified Importance–Performance Analysis (IPA) framework, in which the conventional importance–performance dimensions are reconceptualized as perception and satisfaction. The results indicate that the case study parks perform well in barrier-free accessibility, entrance image, and material application. Based on the perception–satisfaction analysis, the entrance-space attributes were systematically classified according to their relative strengths and improvement priorities, providing the basis for identifying key optimization directions. Accordingly, a perceptual experience-oriented optimization framework is proposed, comprising four complementary strategies: functional coordination, environmental layering, landmark organization, and cultural translation. By integrating Cultural Perception Theory into an adapted IPA framework for entrance-space evaluation, this study extends existing research and provides a practical framework for the adaptive reuse of industrial heritage and the regeneration of public spaces in comparable post-industrial contexts. Its broader applicability to different geographical and cultural settings warrants further validation through future research.