Renovation priorities for old residential districts based on resident satisfaction: An application of asymmetric impact-performance analysis in Xi’an, China

China is currently designing a regional economic layout for high-quality urban development, shifting its focus from the primary stage of beautifying cities to the next stage of profound urbanization aiming at strengthening industry. This is of high importance given that the urbanization rate of permanent residents by the end of 2019 was 60.60%, according to the National Bureau of Statistics of China. In the face of various factors such as the need to economize the intensive use of resources, urban stock development, and the need for urban constructions to maintain harmony with the surrounding ecosystem, regeneration has emerged as an efficient means to repurpose old residential districts. It conforms to the policy of stock planning and is one of the important methods to ensure the sustainable development of a city. Prioritizing the right attributes in renovation is one of the critical steps in the regeneration of old residential districts—instead of merely focusing on their selection and scoring by experts, more attention should be paid to the resident satisfaction (or the lack thereof) arising from them. Therefore, in this study, we have proposed a collaborative approach that requires communities to prioritize the appropriate aspects in urban renewal. This study employed the three-factor theory of customer satisfaction, to investigate the five attributes namely geographical location, infrastructure, traffic, residential management, and living facilities, of satisfaction and dissatisfaction of residents in the old city. This includes 327 samples based on the residents of Yanta old town in Xi’an. The asymmetric impact-performance analysis technique was used to explore, and quantify the asymmetric relationship between the attributes of old residential districts, and residents’ satisfaction. The results proved that attributes were divided into three: excitement factors, performance, and basic factors, based on the asymmetric influence of attributes on residents’ satisfaction. Residential management was into excitement factors, living facilities were categorized into basic factors, and the remaining three attributes were categorized into performance factors. The satisfaction of the residents regarding the renovation was maximized by comprehensively considering the performance of given attributes, adjusting the improvement strategies of each attribute, and further determining the focus of the renovation of the old residential districts. Simultaneously, it helped planners make more rational choices in urban renewal and sustainable development.