How do landscape patterns in urban parks affect multiple cultural ecosystem services perceived by residents?

Cultural ecosystem services (CES) provided by urban parks are crucial for encouraging residents to engage with nature and enhance their physical and mental well-being. Measuring these services from the residents' perception perspective is essential. Previous studies often focus on a specific type of CES, lacking explicit links between the landscape composition and configuration of urban parks and residents' perceptions of various CES. The main objective of this study, therefore, was to explore the effects of urban park landscape patterns on residents' CES perceptions. We took 12 urban parks in Chengdu, China, and assessed residents' CES perceptions through content analysis of social media texts. Spatial patterns of the parks were analyzed using remote sensing interpretation and field surveys. Correlation analysis examined the relationship between landscape patterns and residents' perceptions, with further verification through questionnaires and face-to-face interviews. Findings revealed that at the landscape level, landscape aggregation of parks was negatively correlated with aesthetic perceptions but positively correlated with recreational perceptions. Landscape diversity negatively impacted perceptions of sports and health (S&H). At the class level, natural elements significantly influenced residents' perceptions of aesthetic and S&H. Specifically, aesthetic perceptions were minimized when the landscape shape index of water bodies reached 6.36 or when the proportion of green space was 56.5 %. Road edge density negatively affected perceptions of S&H and influenced the distribution of water bodies and green spaces. These findings are crucial for optimizing park structures to deliver efficient CES and provide strategies for integrating ecosystem services into environmental management from a public perception perspective. [Display omitted] •Residents' multiple perceptions of CES were quantified using social media data.•Landscape patterns of urban parks influence residents' perceptions of CES.•Natural elements matter to residents' perceptions of aesthetic and physical health.•Need to differentiate natural and man-made features in urban parks.•Multi-source data and multi-park research offer valuable insights for landscape designers.