How Streetscape Perception Shapes Heritage Tourism Experience: A Case Study of Macao’s Historic Commercial District

Abstract

Understanding how multi-level perceptual layers shape streetscape preference in historic commercial districts remains limited. By selecting Macao’s Rua dos Mercadores and Rua de Cinco de Outubro—two historic commercial streets sharing a deeply intertwined historical lineage and structural positioning within this heritage city—this study examines the relative roles of macro-streetscape perception and user identity. Crucially, based on the macro-level comparison of the two streets, Rua dos Mercadores was identified as a more promising baseline case for a subsequent, micro-level shopfront façade evaluation. Based on 296 valid questionnaires, paired comparisons, ordinal logistic generalized estimating equations (GEE), and Gaussian GEE sensitivity analyses were conducted. The results reveal a notable contrast between perceived visual order and stated preference: Rua de Cinco de Outubro scored higher in coherence and coordination, yet Rua dos Mercadores achieved significantly higher overall preference, demonstrating that visual order alone cannot explain streetscape evaluation. GEE modeling indicates that street type, resident status, and their interaction significantly affect preference, with exploratory appeal acting as a robust street-level correlate. Conversely, the micro-level analysis of Rua dos Mercadores reveals that façade attributes function primarily as supplementary visual cues rather than independent drivers of street preference. Ultimately, streetscape preference is co-produced through macro-level spatial exploration, user identity, and local façade cues.