Fostering Multicultural Integration in Transforming Context: Community Participatory Museum as a Bridge

Abstract

To explore how the physical environment, community programs, and Individual Characteristics influence cultural adaptation among Korean immigrants in a transforming district of Qingdao, China. Using a mixed-methods approach combining PLS-SEM modeling and interviews, the research identifies intercultural interaction as a key mediating factor linking space and adaptation. While environmental and programmatic improvements enhance place-based belonging, meaningful integration relies on active engagement across cultural boundaries. To support this, the study proposes the Community Participatory Museum (CPM)—an embedded, co-created public space where residents collaboratively share stories and express cultural identities. This research contributes to urban planning and migration studies by revealing how spatial-social mechanisms can foster intercultural understanding and adaptive inclusion in multicultural communities.