Vitality is key: towards sustainable community public open spaces through an integrated SEM–TPB framework

Purpose Public open spaces (POS) are critical for fostering social cohesion, recreation and rural resilience. Although China has made substantial investments in rural POS, many spaces remain underutilized with low vitality. The underlying environmental and behavioural mechanisms that sustain POS vitality in rural China remain underexplored. This study aims to bridge this gap by identifying key environmental determinants and psychological pathways that influence community POS usage and vitality. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on the social ecological model (SEM) and the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), this study proposes an integrated framework to examine how physical, social, and political environments shape residents’ behavioural intentions and their use of public open spaces (POS). Based on a structured questionnaire survey conducted through face-to-face interviews in rural communities of Tianfu New Area, Sichuan Province, a total of 429 valid responses were collected. Structural equation modelling was employed to test the hypothesised pathways. Findings Results confirm that among the external environmental factors in the SEM framework, the physical environment has the strongest impact on POS vitality (ß = 0.707), followed by the political environment (ß = 0.49) and the social environment (ß = 0.187). Specifically, the most influential indicators within each dimension are perceived comfort (0.974, physical), sense of belonging (0.795, social) and planning support policies (0.913, political). The strongest pathway identified is: political environment → physical environment → perceived behavioural control → behavioural intention → POS vitality.. These results highlight the central role of the physical environment and the significance of integrated environmental improvements in promoting rural POS vitality. Originality/value This study is among the first to integrate SEM-TPB framework in the context of rural POS vitality. It offers a behaviourally grounded environmental governance framework that advances sustainable infrastructure and community systems. The findings provide actionable insights for rural planning and policy aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), contributing to the creation of smart, inclusive and resilient built environments.