Search Results (23)

Conventional approaches to Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) preservation, such as static documentation and superficial commercialization, frequently undermine its vitality by reifying it as a fixed artifact detached from its evolving socio-cultural context. This study challenges this object-centric paradigm by proposing an ecosystem-centric framework that reconceptualizes ICH as a dynamic, self-organizing cultural ecosystem. Our framework integrates Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) theory to provide a macro-level ecological perspective, with Emotional Design theory offering a micro-level mechanism for fostering public engagement. We theoretically instantiate this framework through the Yangliuqing Narrative Ecosystem, a design case applied to Tianjin Yangliuqing New Year Paintings. This system combines tangible, modular cultural gene carriers with a digital co-creation platform that guides users through visceral, behavioral, and reflective levels of engagement, aiming to transform them from passive consumers into active co-creators. This process is designed to cultivate a community of practice that drives the heritage’s adaptive evolution. The study contributes a novel theoretical framework and a transferable design methodology, presenting a robust model for reactivating the intrinsic vitality of cultural traditions in the digital age. Full article

By expanding the Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE) framework to match the Complex Adaptive System (CAS) characteristics of high-speed rail (HSR) enterprises, this study adopts fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) and Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA) to investigate the driving mechanisms and configuration paths of high-quality development (HQD). Using data from 137 listed Chinese HSR concept companies during 2018–2023, the results reveal that HSR enterprises operate as CAS, where HQD emerges from the synergistic interaction of technology, organization, and environment subsystems rather than isolated factor contributions. Four equivalent configuration paths to HQD are identified, categorized into three models: Technology-Dominant, Dual-Driven Technology + Environment, and Multi-Collaborative Technology + Organization + Environment. Policy support is a necessary condition for system evolution, digital intelligence empowerment serves as the core “order parameter” driving subsystem adaptation, and high-quality human resources act as the key coordinating element for inter-subsystem coupling. The degree of subsystem synergy has a significant positive correlation with HQD levels. This study enriches the application of CAS theory in the transportation equipment manufacturing industry, expands the TOE framework’s analytical boundary from linear dimension division to systematic synergy, and provides theoretical insights for understanding the nonlinear, emergent mechanisms of HSR enterprise HQD. It also offers practical references for governments to optimize policy supply and for enterprises to enhance adaptive capacity. Full article

Traditional villages embody tangible repositories of historical, cultural, and geographical heritage, and their sustainable and authentic development poses a global challenge. By applying complex adaptive system (CAS) theory via a bottom–up approach, we analyze traditional settlements using China’s Zheshui village as a representative case. Road networks and spatial configurations were examined through image analysis (ImageJ 1.54 p, Depthmap+ Beta 1.0), integrating space syntax, box-counting dimension, and point-density analysis to decode hierarchical point-line-plane structures. Key findings reveal that building units self-similarly aggregate into courtyards under landmark constraints, with courtyards further coalescing into villages. Road systems function as adaptive agents that facilitate nodal information flow while exhibiting fluidity and diversity. The village emerges as a macro-scale complex system from the building-unit level, displaying cross-scale self-similarity, yet intrinsic diversity in architecture and roads underlies its core complexity. BTM topic modeling of tourist sentiment—identifying tourists as novel adaptive agents—predictively guides strategies for enhanced cultural dissemination and public infrastructure. By establishing a CAS-driven internal generative mechanism, this work offers a novel methodological framework for authentic conservation and sustainable development. Full article

Based on a sample of Chinese listed firms from 2010 to 2024, this study employs a complex adaptive systems (CAS) lens to investigate the spillover effects of core-firm digital transformation (CDT) on innovation within supply chain networks. It reveals that CDT fosters supplier innovation while impeding customer innovation. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the spillover effect is more pronounced when suppliers (customers) are non-state-owned, larger, more competitive, and have more able managers. Mechanism analysis suggests that the spillover effect is realized through resource and competition mechanisms. This study contributes to the literature by integrating CAS theory with established supply chain management perspectives to provide a systemic understanding of digital transformation’s ripple effects, offering valuable insights for both managers navigating digital ecosystem evolution and policymakers designing industrial innovation strategies. Full article

Rural collective entrepreneurship poverty alleviation within the university participation context is regarded as a “socio-technical-economic” hybrid system, which aims to generate long-term economic benefits and social well-being for rural collectives through the knowledge of universities and realize the effect of poverty alleviation. However, the existing research has largely overlooked the dynamic mechanisms involved, especially how rural collectives transition from a passive response to a proactive creation in the context of university participation. Thus, we employ Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) theory’s “detectors-IF/THEN rules-effectors” framework through a longitudinal case study. These findings demonstrate that (1) detectors have transitioned from “specialized knowledge embedding” to “diverse knowledge embedding,” which enables broader information scanning; (2) IF/THEN rules undergo cognitive destructuring to cognitive restructuring, fostering adaptive knowledge orchestration strategies; and (3) effectors shift from exploiting vertically related opportunities to horizontally related opportunities. (4) Cross-phase evolution: The knowledge flow mechanism of “knowledge spillover-organizational learning-knowledge absorption” propels “detectors, IF/THEN rules, and effectors” from the passive response phase to the proactive creation phase. This study advances theoretical understanding of CAS and research on entrepreneurship for poverty alleviation. Full article

As a complex ecosystem, a business environment plays a structural role in shaping enterprise vitality, yet its multidimensional mechanisms remain underexplored, particularly within transitioning economies. This study employs a time-series Global Principal Component Analysis (GPCA) model to measure the vitality levels of 1475 A-share listed enterprises and the quality of business environments across 284 cities between 2008 and 2022 in China. Based on Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) theory, we propose a three-dimensional “institution–resource–capability” theoretical framework to analyze the impact of a business environment on enterprise vitality and its underlying complex mechanisms. Our results reveal that, (1) a business environment and its constituent subsystems significantly enhance enterprise vitality, with the market environment and innovation ecosystem exhibiting the strongest effects; (2) the revitalizing impact of a business environment is more pronounced for enterprises in the tertiary industry, manufacturing, regulated sectors, and foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs), as well as those operating in Eastern China; (3) mechanistically, the positive association between a business environment and enterprise vitality is consistent with the following three core pathways: mitigating enterprise risks, restructuring resource provision, and cultivating enterprise capability. This research enriches theoretical frameworks for enterprise sustainable development within complex economic systems, while providing valuable policy implications for optimizing business environments in global transitioning economies. Full article

In recent years, urban risk incidents have become more common. Enhancing infrastructure resilience is not only crucial for adapting to climate change and addressing natural disasters but also serves as a key cornerstone for sustaining urban sustainable development. The research objects for this study are 17 coastal cities in the Bohai Rim region of China. Based on the Complex Adaptive System (CAS) theory, from the multi-dimensional perspective of urban sustainable development, a resilience evaluation index system covering five subsystems, namely transportation, water supply and drainage, energy, environment, and communication, is constructed. Employing panel data from 2013 to 2022, this study develops the entropy weight–TOPSIS model to quantify resilience levels, and applies the obstacle degree model, geographical detector, and Geographically and Temporally Weighted Regression (GTWR) model to analyze influencing factors. The main research results are as follows: (1) The regional infrastructure resilience shows a slow upward trend, but the insufficient synergy among subsystems restricts urban sustainable development; (2) The primary barrier is the drainage and water supply system, and the environmental and communication systems’ notable spatial heterogeneity will result in uneven regional sustainable development; (3) The influence of driving factors such as economic level gradually weakens over time. Based on the above research results, the following paths for resilience improvement and urban sustainable development are proposed: Improve the regional coordination and long-term governance mechanism; Focus on key shortcomings and implement a resilience enhancement plan for water supply and drainage systems; Implement dynamic and precise policy adjustments to stimulate multiple drivers; Enhance smart empowerment and build a digital twin-based collaborative management platform. Full article

Regenerative design (RD) is attracting attention as a concept that goes beyond sustainability. However, RD has been criticized as an overly theoretical and abstract approach. This study constructs a multiscale RD approach in urban areas by combining the theoretical frameworks of an adaptive planning approach based on the complex adaptive systems (CAS) theory and transformative capacities (TC) through the case study of Shimokita-Senrogai. The study’s main contribution is to materialize the process for a multiscale RD approach in urban areas, where it is difficult to reach consensus among diverse stakeholders immediately. The main finding is identifying the necessary conditions for implementing an RD approach that enhances TC by adapting to urban uncertainties from global climate change to local civic dynamics through the agency of more-than-human actor networks. Based on these, this study proposes a methodology to visualize actors, their activity ranges, bases, and ecosystemic flows across multiple territorial scales beyond the development site and its vicinity. Full article

In the context of fintech’s transformative impact on banking, many commercial banks blindly adopt emerging technologies, resulting in systemic inefficiencies. To address this, we propose a complex systems-based competitiveness evaluation framework guiding strategic fintech adjustments. First, the Delphi method identifies five fintech subsystems: big data, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, the Internet of Things, and blockchain. Next, an ANP model captures nonlinear dependencies and feedback loops among these subsystems, overcoming the limitations of linear hierarchical methods. Empirical validation using 16 listed Chinese banks demonstrates the model’s systemic coherence and practical utility. This study contributes to systems science by integrating complex adaptive systems (CAS) theory into competitiveness evaluation, shifting from firm-centric governance to ecosystem dynamics. It also offers banks a tool for adaptive strategy iteration in evolving fintech ecosystems. Full article

Transit-oriented development (TOD) has been widely adopted in urban planning to alleviate traffic congestion, urban sprawl, and other problems. The TOD metro station area, as a dynamic and open spatial system, presents typical complex features. To improve urban planning by understanding the complex features of metro station areas, this study proposes a comprehensive evaluation method using complex adaptive system theory (CAS) to assess space efficiency and the use of an evaluation method like COWA (continuous ordered weighted averaging) operator and cloud model to show efficiency. Factors include external relevance, internal coordination, and environmental adaptation. This study uses Museum Station of Harbin Railway Transportation as the case study, and the results show that the space efficiency of Harbin’s TOD metro station areas are lacking in internal coordination and environmental adaptation. The proposed evaluation method not only identifies areas of space inefficiencies in urban rail transit station areas but also provides valuable insights for informed decision-making and future urban development initiatives. Full article

Urbanization is a rapidly accelerating global phenomenon that challenges sustainable development, requiring innovative frameworks for understanding and managing urban complexity. This study explores the application of Complexity Theory in sustainable urban development, framing cities as Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS), where dynamic social, economic, environmental, and technological interactions generate emergent behaviors. A systematic literature review was conducted, analyzing 91 studies retrieved from Scopus that explicitly link Complexity Theory to urban sustainability. Key findings reveal trade-offs, such as balancing economic growth with ecological preservation and social equity, while emphasizing the role of self-organization and adaptive governance in enhancing urban resilience. Concrete examples include the application of fractal analysis in urban planning to predict sprawl and optimize infrastructure and the use of system dynamics models to align smart city initiatives with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Wider co-benefits identified include improved public health through integrated green infrastructure and the reinforcement of social cohesion via participatory urban planning. This research concludes that embracing Complexity Theory enables a holistic approach to urban sustainability, fostering adaptable, resilient systems that can better manage uncertainty. This study highlights the need for interdisciplinary collaboration and innovative policy frameworks to navigate the multifaceted challenges of modern urbanization. Full article

Confronted with both internal environmental degradation and external economic transformation, the internal environment of old residential communities has become increasingly complex. Enhancing resident adaptability is crucial for communities to address multiple urban crises and align with community development and evolution. Complex Adaptive System (CAS) theory provides an excellent analytical framework for this study, emphasizing that the adaptability of agents contributes to system complexity. The complex adaptability issues faced by old residential communities essentially involve mismatches among resident adaptive capacities, pathways, and objectives amid changing environmental and socioeconomic conditions. This study focuses on residents of 15 old residential communities in the central urban area of Xuzhou. Utilizing CAS theory, a structural equation model is constructed to explore the mechanisms influencing resident adaptability. The results indicate that the following: ① The perceived built environment and social environment have significant positive impacts on resident adaptability. ② Mediation analysis reveals that the perceived built environment plays a positive mediating role in the relationship between the objective built environment and resident adaptability, as well as between the social environment and resident adaptability. The objective built environment also serves as a positive mediator when the social environment affects resident adaptability. ③ Among the control variables examined, income, family structure, and housing tenure significantly impact resident adaptability. This study not only deepens the theoretical understanding of adaptability issues in old residential communities, providing a more nuanced perspective for understanding residents’ adaptive behaviors in complex environments, but also offers specific strategic recommendations for community renewal and enhancing resident adaptability, thus holding significant theoretical and practical value. Full article

The concept of a digital twin (DT) has gained significant attention in academia and industry because of its perceived potential to address critical global challenges, such as climate change, healthcare, and economic crises. Originally introduced in manufacturing, many attempts have been made to present proper definitions of this concept. Unfortunately, there remains a great deal of confusion surrounding the underlying concept, with many scientists still uncertain about the distinction between a simulation, a mathematical model and a DT. The aim of this paper is to propose a formal definition of a digital twin. To achieve this goal, we utilize a data science framework that facilitates a functional representation of a DT and other components that can be combined together to form a larger entity we refer to as a digital twin system (DTS). In our framework, a DT is an open dynamical system with an updating mechanism, also referred to as complex adaptive system (CAS). Its primary function is to generate data via simulations, ideally, indistinguishable from its physical counterpart. On the other hand, a DTS provides techniques for analyzing data and decision-making based on the generated data. Interestingly, we find that a DTS shares similarities to the principles of general systems theory. This multi-faceted view of a DTS explains its versatility in adapting to a wide range of problems in various application domains such as engineering, manufacturing, urban planning, and personalized medicine. Full article

In the context of global environmental change and continuous urbanization, enhancing urban resilience is an important way to improve urban emergency management capacity and achieve sustainable development of urban systems. It is of great significance to clarify the mechanisms and effects of urban resilience and carry out resilience measurement to improve the level of urban system resilience and alleviate the pressure of environmental disturbances on the stable operation of urban systems. As an important part of the “Belt and Road” Initiative and one of the few leading economic regions in western China, promoting the high-quality development of the Lanzhou-Xining urban agglomeration is of profound significance for strengthening ethnic unity and stabilizing the northwest and southwest regions. Based on the complex adaptive system (CAS) theory and the adaptive cycle model, this study understands urban resilience as the comprehensive result of urban system stability, self-organization, learning adaptability and transformability, constructs a multi-level open index evaluation system, and analyzes the spatio-temporal evolution characteristics of urban resilience of the Lanzhou-Xining urban agglomeration from the proposed design to the formal planning in 2010–2017. The findings are as follows: (1) Research on the urban resilience of the Lanzhou-Xining urban agglomeration verifies the applicability of the evolutionary urban resilience analysis framework and makes preliminary findings on urban resilience based on CAS theory, which provide a certain theoretical reference for the research on the spatio-temporal evolution of urban resilience. (2) From 2010 to 2017, significant differences are observed between various urban attributes. Resilience exhibits an overall upward trend, and spatial evolution changes from a double core (Lanzhou and Xining) to three cores (Lanzhou, Xining and Haidong) and polycentric modes. (3) Based on urban resilience characteristics and an urban system adaptability cycle model, this paper divides the Lanzhou-Xining urban agglomeration cities into four types (exploitation–reorganization, conservation–release, conservation–exploitation and exploitation), and proposes corresponding adaptive management countermeasures. These could be adopted as a reference to promote the high-quality development of the Lanzhou-Xining urban agglomeration. Full article

The complex adaptation system (CAS) theory of “adaptability to produce complexity” is a new theoretical perspective for the spatio-temporal evolution of rural tourism systems. Based on the CAS theory, the theoretical framework, structural composition, formation process, and evolution mechanism of the rural tourism complex system were examined and revealed. The suburban country region of Wuhan was taken as the area of focus for empirical research. The state of the rural tourism destination system in Wuhan has gone through various periods of development: the embryonic stage of the system (before 2000), formation (2001–2007), rapid development (2008–2015), and consolidation and transformation (since 2016). Under the environments stimulating external physical geography, social economy, market demand, and emergencies, multiple agents such as government, enterprises, residents, and tourists in Wuhan have actively adapted to the environment and other agents, and the interaction intensity and complexity have gradually increased, driving the emergence of system agent types, functional structures, and spatial patterns. The agents continue to grow, differentiate, and aggregate. The tourism product has shifted from the dominance of a rural ecological scenery and leisure agriculture to diversified development, and with the main function changing from sightseeing to leisure and vacation. The rural communities have been renovated and beautified, transforming them from a provider of rural service facilities to a co-builder of a rural-imaged tourism space. Full article