OPEN VS. SHELTERED: PERCEIVED SENSORY DIMENSIONS AND SPATIAL BEHAVIOR AT TAMAN MENTENG

Abstract

Urban parks increasingly function not only as everyday public spaces for residents but also as recreational amenities that contribute to the attractiveness and experience quality of urban destinations. This study examines how two Perceived Sensory Dimensions (PSD), Open and Sheltered, influence activity patterns, length of stay, and visitor satisfaction at Taman Menteng, Jakarta. The study employed a descriptive-correlational quantitative approach involving 109 park users. Respondents were treated as recreational visitors rather than assumed to be tourists, as the sample predominantly consisted of Jakarta residents engaging in relaxation, exercise, and social activities. Data were collected using a Likert-scale questionnaire and analyzed through factor analysis, Kruskal-Wallis tests, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression. The results show that perceived openness (M = 3.83) was higher than perceived shelteredness (M = 3.29), while Sheltered consistently emerged as the stronger predictor of activity, length of stay, and satisfaction. The strongest effects were found for duration under tree shelter (? = 0.525; R² = 0.306) and visitor satisfaction (? = 0.468; R² = 0.287). The findings suggest that shaded and spatially protected environments enhance recreational visitor experience in tropical urban parks. From an urban-tourism perspective, such parks can function as supporting leisure infrastructure that improves the experiential quality and livability of city destinations.