Human–Nature Relationships in Country Parks at the Urban–Rural Fringe: A Case Study of the Huitian Region, Beijing

Urban green spaces face increasing pressure to reconcile ecological conservation with rising public demand as urbanization accelerates. Yet the spatial coupling of human needs and natural provisioning in the urban&ndash:rural fringe remains insufficiently understood. Focusing on the country park cluster in Beijing&rsquo:s Huitian region, this study develops an integrated assessment framework&mdash:combining ecological importance, ecological connectivity potential, construction suitability, and recreational demand&mdash:to evaluate nature suitability and pinpoint spatial mismatches in human&ndash:nature interactions. Ecological importance is quantified through ecological sensitivity analysis and InVEST-based habitat-quality modeling, while ecological connectivity potential is estimated via normalized least-cost corridor analysis. Construction suitability is derived from the proportion of artificial surfaces and road network density, and recreational demand is measured by population concentration, facility density, and transport accessibility. These metrics are synthesized to map nature-suitability patterns and reveal divergences between human demand and ecological provisioning. The results show a pronounced north&ndash:south gradient in ecological importance, with Dongxiaokou Ditch and Dongxiaokou Forest Park emerging as ecological hotspots. Nineteen ecological source patches are identified, with the strongest connectivity in the southern sector of Dongxiaokou Forest Park. Areas of high construction suitability coincide with well-developed infrastructure, whereas recreational demand clusters around Tiantongyuan and Beiqing Road. Natural and artificial elements intertwine to form an ecological core of 870.74 hm2, yet 13.29% of the study area exhibits mismatches&mdash:particularly residential zones lacking green-space access. Over-development within Dongxiaokou Urban Recreation Park likewise falls short of ecological expectations. The study offers targeted recommendations&mdash:ecological protection, facility optimization, green-space enhancement, and the integration of multifunctional green infrastructure&mdash:and provides a transferable framework for coordinating human and natural systems in other urban&ndash:rural fringe contexts.