Search Results (26)

Nomadic heritage villages constitute significant material cultural heritage. Under China’s cultural revitalization and rural development strategies, these villages face spatial degradation driven by tourism and urbanization. Current research predominantly employs isolated analytical approaches—space syntax often overlooks social dynamics while social network analysis (SNA) overlooks physical interfaces—hindering the development of holistic solutions for socio-spatial resilience. This study proposes a multi-scale integrated assessment framework combining social network analysis (SNA) and space syntax to systematically evaluate public space structures in traditional nomadic villages of Xinjiang. The framework provides scientific evidence for optimizing public space design in these villages, facilitating harmonious coexistence between spatial functionality and cultural values. Focusing on three heritage villages—representing compact, linear, and dispersed morphologies—the research employs a hierarchical “village-street-node” analytical model to dissect spatial configurations and their socio-functional dynamics. Key findings include the following: Compact villages exhibit high central clustering but excessive concentration, necessitating strategies to enhance network resilience and peripheral connectivity. Linear villages demonstrate weak systemic linkages, requiring “segment-connection point supplementation” interventions to mitigate structural elongation. Dispersed villages maintain moderate network density but face challenges in visual integration and centrality, demanding targeted activation of key intersections to improve regional cohesion. By merging SNA’s social attributes with space syntax’s geometric precision, this framework bridges a methodological gap, offering comprehensive spatial optimization solutions. Practical recommendations include culturally embedded placemaking, adaptive reuse of transitional spaces, and thematic zoning to balance heritage conservation with tourism needs. Analyzing Xinjiang’s unique spatial–social interactions provides innovative insights for sustainable heritage village planning and replicable solutions for comparable global cases. Full article

High-density cities have obvious characteristics of compact urban spatial form and intensive land use in terms of spatial environment, and have always been a topic of academic focus. As a typical coastal historical district, the Macau Peninsula pier district (mainly the Macau Inner Harbour) has a high building density and a low average street width, forming a vertical coastline development model that directly converses with the ocean. This area is adjacent to Macau’s World Heritage Site and directly related to the Marine trade functions. The distribution pattern of cultural heritage linked by the ocean has strengthened Macau’s unique positioning as a node city on the Maritime Silk Road. This text is based on the theory of urban development, integrates spatial syntax and POI analysis techniques, and combines the theories of waterfront regeneration, high-density urban form and post-industrial urbanism to integrate and deepen the theoretical framework, and conduct a systematic study on the urban spatial characteristics of the coastal area of the Macau Peninsula. This study found that (1) Catering and shopping facilities present a dual agglomeration mechanism of “tourism-driven + commercial core”, with Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro as the main axis and radiating to the Ruins of St. Paul’s and Praça de Ponte e Horta, respectively. Historical blocks and tourist hotspots clearly guide the spatial center of gravity. (2) Residential and life service facilities are highly coupled, reflecting the spatial logic of “work-residence integration-service coordination”. The distribution of life service facilities basically overlaps with the high-density residential area, forming an obvious “living circle + community unit” structure with clear spatial boundaries. (3) Commercial and transportation facilities form a “functional axis belt” organizational structure along the main road, with the Rua das Lorchas—Rua do Almirante Sérgio axis as the skeleton, constructing a “functional transmission chain”. (4) The spatial system of the Macau Peninsula pier district has transformed from a single center to a multi-node, network-linked structure. Its internal spatial differentiation is not only constrained by traditional land use functions but is also driven by complex factors such as tourism economy, residential migration, historical protection, and infrastructure accessibility. (5) Through the analysis of space syntax, it is found that the core integration of the Macau Peninsula pier district is concentrated near Pier 16 and the northern area. The two main roads have good accessibility for motor vehicle travel, and the northern area of the Macau Peninsula pier district has good accessibility for long and short-distance walking. Full article

Traditional settlements are vital carriers of Chinese agricultural civilization yet face mounting challenges in protection and inheritance amid rapid urbanization. Taking ancient Huizhou as a case study, this research analyzes the spatial distribution patterns of cross-provincial traditional settlements and constructs a multi-level heritage corridor network through circuit theory modeling and space syntax analysis. The study reveals a “small aggregation, large dispersion” spatial structure shaped by natural geography and socio-cultural dynamics. Simulation of multi-path cultural flows and network analysis show that high betweenness corridors concentrate along the northeast–southwest axis, promoting efficient cultural circulation, while low betweenness areas highlight gaps in direct connectivity. Closeness analysis identifies She County as the cultural core with a single-center radial structure, though internal fragmentation persists. Based on these findings, the study proposes a “three-core-driven, two-axis linkage, multi-source synergy” protection strategy to strengthens the spatial integrity and resilience of the heritage network. This research not only provides a systematic framework for the holistic conservation of Huizhou settlement heritage but also offers methodological references for the protection of traditional settlements in broader regions. Full article

This study examines Xi’an’s spatial evolution using Historical GIS (HGIS) methodologies, integrating Space Syntax and Kernel Density Estimation (KDE). Analyzing six historical periods—from the Five Dynasties to the early PRC—it highlights Xi’an’s transformation from a centralized structure reinforcing political hierarchies to a decentralized, polycentric city shaped by economic diversification and industrialization. Centralized layouts in the early periods supported governance and military control, while the Ming and Qing periods saw decentralization driven by trade and cultural exchange via the Silk Road. The PRC era introduced industrial expansion, creating specialized zones but reducing the integration of the historical core. This study bridges historical narratives with quantitative spatial analysis, revealing often-overlooked socio-spatial dynamics. It offers lessons for urban planning, emphasizing polycentric development, adaptive reuse of historical spaces, and equitable growth. Balancing modernization with heritage preservation is a key theme, providing a sustainable model for historic cities. By integrating historical and spatial analysis, this research provides strategies to balance cultural heritage with urban development. This ensures that Xi’an remains a dynamic city that blends history and modernity. Full article

This study examines the gender dynamics in urban space usage within the historic city center of Tebessa, Algeria, exploring how cultural factors and street networks influence gender-specific pedestrian behavior and land use patterns. Using a multidisciplinary approach combining space syntax techniques, GIS analysis, and behavioral data collection, we analyzed the relationships between street networks, land use attractors, and gender-differentiated pedestrian flows. Key findings reveal significant differences in spatial navigation patterns between men and women, influenced by cultural norms and gender-specific land use distribution. Women’s movement is more constrained and focused on specific attractors, while men navigate the entire urban system more freely. The study also highlights the impact of “edge effects”, where extramural attractors strongly influence intramural gender movement, particularly for women. These gender-specific patterns often override street network influences predicted by traditional space syntax theories. Our research contributes to the understanding of sustainable urban development in culturally rich contexts by demonstrating the need for gender-inclusive planning that considers local cultural practices. The findings have important implications for urban planners and policymakers working to create more equitable and functional historic city centers while preserving cultural heritage and addressing gender-specific needs. Full article

As modern society increasingly emphasizes quality of life, historic districts face the challenge of balancing the preservation of traditional culture with the integration of urban development. Many historic districts today struggle with low vitality and limited visitor engagement. By adopting sustainable development strategies, such as promoting tourism, these districts have the potential to enhance economic vitality. This study explores the spatial morphological characteristics of the ShuiXiLin Historic District (SHD) in Fuzhou, using spatial syntax theory and tools within the framework of sustainable urban renewal. The study proposes three strategies for the district: (1) enhancing connectivity positively influences the public experience within the SHD; (2) strengthening the district’s primary axis amplifies its influence across the area; (3) implementing protective reuse of historical buildings and improving service facilities can significantly enhance the district’s vitality. Through theoretical analysis and a review of existing research, this study proposes revitalization strategies aimed at formulating sustainable development plans for the district. These recommendations are intended to offer valuable insights for urban renewal projects and provide theoretical support for planning decisions related to the vitality of historic districts. This research illustrates the effective use of spatial syntax in historic districts, offering a robust method to evaluate and enhance the spatial structure and vitality of heritage areas. It supports sustainable development by integrating preservation with modern needs, ensuring a balance between conservation and urban growth. Full article

Historic districts are an important component of urban heritage, carrying the memory of the city. The study provides objective spatial level and subjective perception level analysis regarding the evaluation of the renewal of historic districts. We selected Qianmen Street, which is located on the central axis of Beijing, as the research subject. Space syntax was used to determine the importance of the main street to the district, and a kernel density analysis revealed that it was a poor tourist attraction. We used online comment data to establish an evaluation system, based on grounded theory, for the renewal of Qianmen Street. The evaluation system consisted of four primary indicators, including space creation, architectural style conservation, locality, and business management, as well as fifteen secondary indicators. Additionally, an importance–performance analysis (IPA) was used to conduct a quadrant analysis on tourist satisfaction evaluation indicators, in order to analyze influencing factors. The results show that tourists are most concerned about the dimensions of locality and business management, but the level of tourist satisfaction is low. The renewal of the Qianmen historic district should give priority to the creation of its historicity, cultural characteristics, and uniqueness, and should use a small-scale, gradual, and sustainable renewal method. Full article

Accessibility to cultural heritage is crucial for fostering inclusive urban environments and preserving historical and cultural identities. This study addresses the gap between heritage conservation and urban accessibility with two objectives: (1) to identify tangible and intangible cultural heritage elements based on user preferences from the social media platform Foursquare, and (2) to assess the impact of accessibility on public engagement using Space Syntax analysis. The historic centres of Valencia and Alicante, Spain, were chosen as case studies for their rich cultural heritage and dynamic urban contexts. A novel urban cultural heritage (UCH) taxonomy was developed to categorise heritage elements into buildings, public spaces, elements, and events/festivities. Findings indicated that social media data offer valuable insights that complement official heritage catalogues, providing a richer understanding of cultural assets and public engagement. The results showed that higher public engagement was concentrated (1) in and around key heritage sites, (2) in heritage sites that combine cultural significance with multifunctional public use, (3) in public spaces and urban nodes that are highly accessible and well connected to the urban structure, (4) in areas where clusters of heritage elements are located close together, and (5) around sites of architectural prominence and cultural significance. This emphasised that accessibility is as important as historical significance for attracting public interest. The study suggested that improving accessibility and integrating social media data with traditional methods can enhance heritage conservation strategies and support sustainable urban development by fostering stronger identity values within cities. Full article

This study examines the potential of urban landscape transformation to generate and develop new heritage and the role of heritage urbanism in an industrial city. It explores whether the changeover of urban heritage districts in Pittsburgh (PA, USA) can give rise to a novel type of urban heritage. Pittsburgh experienced urban development primarily driven by the presence and accessibility of natural resources, rather than favorable geographical conditions: topography characterized by rugged hills, rock formations, rivers, and stream valleys. The integration of the American-style grid within this unique natural environment resulted in intriguing juxtapositions. Consequently, elements such as bridges, viaducts, stairs, tunnels, and historical inclines gained paramount importance in shaping the urban fabric. The city’s remaining preserved or transformed urban heritage is protected through historic districts designated by the Department of City Planning, which enforces specific planning and design guidelines. The study employs a multi-faceted approach combining the concepts of historic stratification (urban palimpsest), integrated urban morphology, space syntax (integration analysis), and heritage urbanism. During the personally conducted long-term fieldwork, the selected case studies described herein (historic districts, university campus, and traditional neighborhood) proved to be the most suitable for demonstrating urban heritage formation through urban landscape transformation. Full article

The tourism development of industrial heritage is an effective way to activate cultural heritage and can provide new solutions for the renewal and protection of industrial heritage. This study focuses on the industrial heritage in Nanjing, aiming to explore its spatial distribution pattern, tourism development strategy, and sustainable development model. This study adopts a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods. First, relevant information on 93 sites of industrial heritage type historic buildings in Nanjing is collected. Secondly, ArcGIS was used to visualize the evolution of industrial buildings and the spatial distribution of industrial heritage type historic buildings. Finally, the spatial analysis tools of ArcGIS and the accessibility analysis method in space syntax theory are superimposed to comprehensively analyze the spatial distribution pattern and traffic accessibility characteristics of Nanjing’s industrial heritage. The research results propose a specific plan to promote the value transformation of industrial heritage through tourism: based on the spatial distribution characteristics of Nanjing’s industrial heritage along the water system and traffic arteries, a tourist route of “multi-point, two-axis, one-center” is planned; the tourism development strategy of “point protrusion, linear links, and surface darning” is implemented; and a sustainable development model under the guidance of low-carbon environmental protection goals is explored. This study provides a reference for the protective development of industrial heritage and the expansion of tourism and opens up a new perspective for the regeneration and planning of other urban heritage. Full article

This research explores the impact of urban design performance qualities on pedestrian behavior in a cultural heritage site designated by UNESCO. The study employs a multi-method approach, including a questionnaire survey, empirical observation of pedestrian activities, and empirical axial line and visibility graph analysis using the space syntax technique. The first part of the study involved a questionnaire formatted as a polling sheet to gather expert assessments of spatial performance measures. The second part used a pilot survey to capture the perspectives of end users regarding the study’s objectives and their perceptions of the site. Pedestrian flow was observed using a technique called “gate counts”, with observations recorded as video clips during specific morning and afternoon periods across three pedestrian zones. The study also examined the behavioral patterns of pedestrians, including their movement patterns. Finally, the ArcGIS 10.3.1 software was employed to evaluate the reliability of the results. The main finding of this research is that pedestrian behavior and walkability in the historical areas are significantly influenced by landmark integration, wayfinding behavior, and the socio-economic functions of heritage sites. This study highlights the importance of using cognitive and syntactic analysis, community engagement, and historical preservation to enhance walkability, accessibility, and social interaction in heritage contexts. In addition, it identifies the need for improvements in urban design to address inconsistencies between syntactic maps and actual pedestrian flow, emphasizing the role of imageability and the impact of environmental and aesthetic factors on pedestrian movement. This research provides valuable insights for urban designers and planners, environmental psychologists, architects, and policymakers by highlighting the key elements that make urban spaces walkable, aiming to enhance the quality of public spaces. Full article

Changzhou is a city situated in the eastern region of China and serves as a pivotal juncture of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, the Grand Canal of China. The study employed spatial syntax foreground and background network analysis to examine the cultural landscape characteristics and determinants of the urban spatial context in Changzhou, influenced by the Grand Canal, with a focus on rivers, streets, and social networks. The findings revealed that: (1) Foreground network construction: serving as the fundamental framework of urban space, street and river networks exhibited distinct functionalities in terms of structural configuration, functional organization, and potential impact. (2) Background network construction: social networks identified through spatial structure recognition demonstrated sustainable characteristics, as their layout was not directly correlated to the foreground network but contributed to the identification of the identity and the traits of social networks. (3) Dual network adaptability to contemporary urban space: it was imperative to redefine the role of river networks to augment their potential impact in shaping scenic leisure systems. This study provides novel insights into preserving and acknowledging the urban spatial context while offering valuable references for safeguarding regional cultural landscapes. Full article

Expansion of cities with population growth leads to the differentiation of urban texture, negatively affecting the accessibility of tourism areas in historical regions. For this reason, there is a need to develop tourism areas that enable people to experience the areas of historical heritage. Sustainable urban development, which is also the theory of the study, has become an agenda for the protection and revitalization of historical areas in order to increase accessibility to tourism. The Safranbolu Protected Area, which is one of the oldest settlements with its traditional housing texture and which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites List in Turkey, was chosen as the study area. In this study, the aim is to examine the accessibility of historical tourism centers, analyze the spatial configuration of the street texture in the city of Karabük and determine the features of the formation mechanism of the Safranbolu historical region. The research questions are based on the impact of (1) the accessibility of the street network on the formation mechanism of the urban architecture and (2) the shaping of urban tourism areas in historical cities. The space syntax method was used to examine the relationship between the building features of the Safranbolu Urban Protected Area and the formation features of the space. Within the scope of the study, the accessibility of the Safranbolu historical center was examined through the street texture that shapes the city form using data from Open Street Map. Segment and axial analyses were made based on the current street network data of the city. The key findings of the research revealed that the accessibility level of the city’s street network was practically effective in shaping the Safranbolu Urban Protected Area. It was theoretically found that the streets with a high global integration value in the city have an impact on the shaping of traditional architecture and constitute important routes for tourism in sustainable development. The findings serve as a reference for researchers in sustainable development, urban planners and local governments who will use it to test the methodology for understanding the street layout of the historical area and improving the experiential characteristics of the users. Full article

Contemporary urban development places a critical emphasis on pedestrian environments, especially in historic cities like George Town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Malaysia. Although survey questionnaires effectively captured public perceptions of issues such as poor road connectivity, weak accessibility, crime and safety concerns in George Town, they fell short in providing a comprehensive understanding of the root causes. This study leverages space syntax theory to model and analyze George Town’s unique pedestrian landscape, aiming to identify strategies for improving pedestrian networks in historical urban landscapes. Space syntax theory, known for revealing structural issues within urban contexts, is applied after a thorough examination of George Town’s urban layout, climate, architectural features, and development policies. George Town employs an informal grid layout widely utilized in British colonial port cities to enhance overall efficiency. The predominant architectural form is the shophouse, which is characterized by a ground level designed for pedestrian movement known as the “five-foot way” and adapted to Malaysia’s climate. Various axis drawing methods for the unique five-foot way under different circumstances are considered. The George Town special area plan (SAP) emphasizing heritage preservation guides development policies, thus requiring an inclusive approach to pedestrian environments. This enhances the practical significance of the current study, with the eastern and northern coastal areas serving as crucial focal points for investigation. This approach results in a comprehensive spatial model that captures the essence of George Town’s pedestrian landscape. Evaluation using space syntax indicators such as connectivity, integration, intelligibility, and choice reveals issues like poor overall network connectivity, inadequate access to key attractions, suboptimal integration, concentrated pedestrian flows, and significant safety concerns, which are exacerbated by limited infrastructure on certain two-way roads and a lack of zebra crossings. The practical implications of this study include recommendations for enhancing pedestrian spaces along identified roads and strategically installing zebra-crossings. This research is significant for its focus on a historical city in a Southeast Asian developing country, deeply integrating local environmental characteristics and providing insights into urban planning and optimization, thereby serving as a reference for similar cities. Full article

Public spaces are important places for various social functions and are also essential components of the cultural heritage of traditional settlements, which are suffering from blind function renewal and structural reconstruction during urbanization. It is essential to clarify the influence of spatial functions on spatial systems for the sustainable development of traditional settlements. Thus, based on the topology theory, we built a research framework for the relationship between public space functions and systems. Through field research, Pajek topological network analysis, and space syntax, we investigated the influence of spatial functions on the public space system of traditional settlements in terms of both structure and order. The research results of Zhang Guying Village demonstrate that (1) the public space of Zhang Guying Village has the structural characteristics of “axis-oriented and multi-core”; (2) the coordinated development of political, living, and traffic public spaces constitutes the formation logic of the public space system; (3) topological analysis of public spaces based on spatial functions helps in the optimization and functional reorganization of the public space system in traditional settlements. Hence, this study can provide understanding of the formation of the public space system and can also provide local administration adaptive reconfiguration strategies for the sustainable development of traditional settlements in the future. Full article