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Urban green spaces are increasingly recognized for their positive impact on well-being, quality of life, and public health. Researchers have explored how green space characteristics, such as size, theme, and convenience, influence urban movement. However, an important aspect that has received limited attention is the relative attractiveness of green spaces. When residents have access to similar green spaces nearby, their inclination to visit more distant ones decreases. This leads to the central research question: How does the relative attractiveness of urban green spaces affect urban movements? The existing literature lacks a comprehensive theory to address this question. To bridge this gap, this paper introduces the Potential to Kinetic Energy (PKE) framework, inspired by principles from physics. In this framework, potential energy represents the relative attractiveness of green spaces between the travel origin and destination, while kinetic energy signifies the urban movement resulting from the this attractiveness. To demonstrate the PKE framework's applicability, this paper analyzes green space data and smart card subway ridership records from Beijing. The results show that a unit increase in size, cultural, attraction, proximity, and location potential energy is associated with a 0.22%, 0.27%, 0.14%, 0.19%, and 0.02% increase in urban movement. The findings provide compelling evidence for the significant role of relative attractiveness in shaping urban movements and offer valuable insights for urban planning and policy development. The proposal of the PKE framework encourages interdisciplinary discussions among urban planners, environmental scientists, and transportation experts, fostering collaborative efforts to enhance the sustainability of cities. • A Potential to Kinetic Energy (PKE) framework is introduced to investigate the relationship between green space attractiveness and urban movements. • Potential energy contains five sub-concepts: size, culture, attraction, proximity and location. • Kinetic energy represents urban movement that characterizes the motion of objects resulting from potential energy conversion. • Empirical analysis of Beijing shows the significant role of relative green space attractiveness in shaping urban movement patterns. • The PKE framework supports urban planners to evaluate green space attractiveness, examine the impact of landscape change, and promote inclusive urban environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]