Assessment And Determinants Of Residential Satisfaction With Sponge-Style Old Community Renewal: A Case Study In Zhenjiang, China

To address serious water problems in urban areas, the sponge-style old community renewal (SOCR) was carried out in most of the old communities in China. Understanding the satisfaction of community residents with the SOCR projects is vital for evaluating the outcome of the SOCR projects and promoting residents' engagement in sponge city construction. The aim of this study is to assess residential satisfaction (i.e., residents' perception to meet their needs, expectations, and aspirations) with SOCR and examine the determinants which are the main factors that influence the residential satisfaction. Using a conceptual framework and old communities of Zhenjiang as a case study, important differences across different factors (such as age, education, income, community attachment, information acquisition, support for policy, and cognition) were identified using regression analysis. One critical finding is that a high level of residential satisfaction was recorded for residents who were younger, with higher education level, higher income, with a strong sense of belonging to the community, a high level of support for the SOCR policy, and greater awareness of the importance of the SOCR. The results provide critical information about enhancing the satisfaction of residents in old communities and promoting residents to engage in more effective implementation of sponge city alternatives.