Renovation dimensions and residents’ subjective well-being in old residential neighbourhoods: a structural equation modeling study in Hangzhou, China

A recent study in Hangzhou, China investigated the relationship between different renovation dimensions in old residential neighbourhoods and their impact on residents' subjective well-being (SWB). SWB encompasses residents' evaluations of their community life, including happiness, neighbourhood relations, and feelings of safety.

The researchers employed structural equation modelling to analyze the relationships among four renovation dimensions (physical environment, infrastructure, community services, and property management) and SWB, both directly and indirectly through resident participation.

The findings revealed that physical environment and infrastructure had significant positive direct effects on SWB, while community services and property management did not. However, resident participation positively influenced SWB and selectively mediated the relationships between physical environment and community services with SWB.

The indirect paths through infrastructure and property management were found to be non-significant. Furthermore, heterogeneity analyses showed that lower-income residents were mainly affected by improvements in physical environment and infrastructure, whereas higher-income residents were additionally responsive to community services and participation.

Among older residents, community services and participation played a more significant role in determining SWB than infrastructure. These results suggest that upgrading the built environment and implementing participatory governance serve as complementary yet group-sensitive mechanisms for enhancing residents' well-being. Consequently, policy efforts should shift from a narrow technical approach towards a staged and differentiated strategy that prioritizes essential environmental improvements while incorporating responsive services and institutionalised participation channels to meet diverse needs.