Mechanisms Linking Perceived Waterside Sports Venue Design to Residents’ Well-Being: The Roles of Blue Space Connectedness and Perceived Restorativeness

As the integration between urban public spaces and aquatic environments continues to deepen, waterside sports venues have gradually become important public spaces that combine sports, leisure, and nature-based experiential value. Existing studies have mainly focused on the functional configuration and spatial performance of sports venues, or on the restorative benefits of natural environments. However, relatively limited attention has been paid to the psychological pathway through which residents develop blue space connectedness and restorative experiences in waterside sports venues, and how these experiences are further associated with well-being. This study surveyed 1064 residents who had used waterside sports venues and constructed a chain mediation model linking perceived waterside sports venue design, blue space connectedness, perceived restorativeness, and residents’ well-being. Perceived waterside sports venue design was conceptualized as a second-order construct composed of water visibility, water accessibility, water harmony, and water interactivity, while perceived restorativeness was conceptualized as a second-order construct composed of being-away, fascination, extent, and compatibility. Questionnaire data were collected from residents, and structural equation modeling was employed to test the theoretical model. The results indicate that: (1) perceived waterside sports venue design is significantly and positively associated with residents’ well-being; (2) blue space connectedness and perceived restorativeness play independent mediating roles in the above relationship; (3) blue space connectedness and perceived restorativeness form a chain mediation pathway between perceived waterside sports venue design and residents’ well-being. The findings extend blue space and sport venue research by conceptualizing waterside sports venues as hybrid public environments that combine water-based spatial experience, sport participation, and restorative potential. By identifying the sequential roles of blue space connectedness and perceived restorativeness, this study provides a psychological explanation of how perceived waterside venue design is associated with residents’ well-being, and offers practical implications for health-oriented waterfront sport venue planning and evaluation.