User-Demand-Oriented Design of Restorative Seating in Urban Parks: Using a GT–Kano–AHP–QFD–TOPSIS Hybrid Model

Abstract

Urban parks are increasingly expected to support rest, relaxation, and restorative perception under accelerating urbanization and everyday stress. However, studies on park seating still lack a systematic pathway for translating user demands into design elements and selecting design alternatives. Taking restorative-oriented wooden seating in urban parks as the object, this study developed a GT–Kano–AHP–QFD–TOPSIS hybrid model. Semi-structured interviews with 30 park users were analyzed using grounded theory. Kano classification was then conducted using 91 valid questionnaires. Twelve experts applied AHP to weight 13 user demand items, which were translated into design elements through QFD. Finally, 17 evaluators rated three design alternatives on a seven-point scale, and TOPSIS was used for ranking. The results showed that seating comfort, ergonomic dimensional optimization, and aesthetic form had the highest weights, at 0.1614, 0.1404, and 0.1321, respectively. Ergonomic dimensions, backrest design, lumbar support, multi-user adaptability, and aesthetic form were identified as priority design elements. Alternative 3 achieved the highest relative closeness coefficient (0.8007), indicating the best overall performance. This study provides a traceable user-oriented decision pathway for wooden park seating design, while its findings reflect perceived preferences rather than clinically or physiologically verified outcomes.