Search Results (111)

This research proposes a hierarchical adaptive approach to urban renewal that seeks to reconcile heritage preservation with contemporary functional demands in historic urban environments. Focusing on cultural and sports public facilities in the northwestern urban–rural interface of Rome, the research identifies critical mismatches between facility typologies, user groups, and mobility patterns, including fragmented connectivity, child-exclusionary environments, and unsafe pedestrian–vehicular interactions. A three-tiered intervention framework is developed, comprising minimal intervention for heritage-preserved structures, semi-intervention for high-use contemporary facilities, and full intervention for generic or underutilized buildings and undeveloped land. Using field surveys, GIS-based spatial analysis, and visualized performance metrics, the study evaluates how vertical functional superposition, independent pedestrian systems, and transitional connectors can enhance spatial legibility, accessibility, and social inclusiveness. The results show that hierarchical adaptive renewal improves pedestrian safety, strengthens functional integration between cultural–sports facilities and adjacent residential areas, and activates underused spaces while maintaining the integrity of Rome’s historic fabric. Beyond the case study, the framework offers a transferable model for other high-density historic cities seeking to balance heritage protection, everyday usability, and sustainable urban development. Full article

This paper investigates how the “Gastro Local” network in Brașov County, Romania, contributes to regional brand development by digitally communicating local gastronomic and cultural values. One hundred eighty social media posts created by Local Gastronomic Points (LGPs) were analyzed using a directed content analysis grounded in the Memorable Gastronomic Experience (MGE) and Online Destination Brand Experience (ODBE) frameworks. Results suggest that LGPs construct dense multimodal narratives combining gastronomic, environmental, emotional, and temporal cues, indicating that rural digital storytelling relies on layered experiential configurations. Hedonism, Local Culture, and Relaxation dominate experiential communication, while sensory and spatio-temporal cues structure online brand expression. Co-occurrence patterns and correspondence analysis indicate two potential branding logics: a sensory–hedonic strategy centred on visual pleasure, and an affective–symbolic contextual strategy anchored in heritage and rural temporality. The study contributes an integrated MGE × ODBE analytical model and suggests how small-scale food providers act as decentralized branding agents, supporting aspects of sustainable and authenticity-driven regional identity-building within this specific context. Full article

Productive landscapes are an important part of intangible cultural heritage, and their protection and inheritance are of great significance to the prosperity and sustainable development of national culture. It not only reflects the wisdom accumulated through the long-term interaction between human production activities and the natural environment, but also carries a strong symbolic meaning of rural culture. However, current research and investigation on productive landscapes still rely mainly on field surveys and manual records conducted by experts and scholars. This process is time-consuming and costly, and it is difficult to achieve efficient and systematic analysis and comparison, especially when dealing with large-scale and diverse types of landscapes. To address this problem, this study takes the Inner Mongolia region as the main research area and builds a productive landscape feature data framework that reflects the diversity of rural production activities and cultural landscapes. The framework covers four major types of landscapes: agriculture, animal husbandry, fishery and hunting, and sideline production and processing. Based on artificial intelligence and deep learning technologies, this study conducts comparative experiments on several convolutional neural network models to evaluate their classification performance and adaptability in complex rural environments. The results show that the improved CEM-ResNet50 model performs better than the other models in terms of accuracy, stability, and feature recognition ability, demonstrating stronger generalization and robustness. Through a semantic clustering approach in image classification, the model’s recognition process is visually interpreted, revealing the clustering patterns and possible sources of confusion among different landscape elements in the semantic space. This study reduces the time and economic cost of traditional field investigations and achieves efficient and intelligent recognition of rural productive landscapes. It also provides a new technical approach for the digital protection and cultural heritage transmission of productive landscapes, offering valuable references for future research in related fields. Full article

Historical irrigation districts (HIDs) are integrated systems of natural and cultural assets, with cultivated land providing critical functions such as food security, environmental conservation, and cultural inheritance. This study presents a research framework for evaluating multifunctional potential, performance, and geographical matching along the “potential-performance” dimensions using analytical tools such as SPSS26.0, ArcGIS pro3.5.2, GeoDa1.22, InVEST3.13, and bivariate spatial autocorrelation. We use Mulanbei HID in China as a case study because of its thousand-year irrigation history and unique location at the intersection of coastal urban and rural communities. The results show the following: (1) In the Mulanbei HID, multifunctional cultivated land exhibits functions in the following order: producing functions, ecological functions, landscape–cultural functions, and social functions. The production function has a homogenous distribution characterized by high values. The ecological function, on the other hand, is distinguished by high-value clusters that decrease significantly as building land approaches its periphery. Social and landscape–cultural roles continue to be undervalued, with high-value places isolated on metropolitan margins. (2) In terms of matching multifunctional potential and performance, in the High-Potential–High-Performance cluster, production and ecological functions account for 19% and 20%, respectively, while in the High-Potential–Low-Performance cluster, social and landscape–cultural functions account for 33% and 27%. The Low-Potential–Low-Performance cluster has 4% production, 4% ecological, 10% social, and 13% landscape–cultural functions, but all four functions are less than 4% in the Low-Potential–High-Performance cluster. These findings provide a scientific foundation for improving cultivated land zoning and governance with a focus on heritage protection. Full article

This study builds on a previously developed typo-morphological method used for the rural architecture of the “Capo Due Rami” area and tests its transferability to the northern sector of Sabaudia within the Pontine reclamation system. Beyond the historical, typological, and landscape dimensions explored earlier, this research adds a further analytical component focused on the relationship between settlement form and territorial planning. This extension represents the major methodological contribution of the study, allowing the repetitive structure of Opera Nazionale Combattenti farm units to be interpreted not only as a building system but also as an implicit territorial-planning device. The case study, located in the northern sector of Sabaudia, explores the relationships between the colonial settlements of the Opera Nazionale Combattenti (ONC), the agrarian framework, and the reclamation infrastructures, interpreting the repetition of settlement models as an implicit form of territorial planning. Using an integrated framework based on field surveys, archival materials, and multiscale cartographic analyses, the observation sheets show how architectural features, land-division schemes, and reclamation infrastructures are structurally interrelated. The results show that this new analytical dimension enhances the method’s interpretative capacity, highlighting the role of typological standardization in shaping the spatial and cultural structure of the reclaimed landscape. They reveal the morphological and functional consistency between architecture and landscape. Overall, the investigation confirms the coherence and replicability of the expanded approach. It shows that rural architecture is not only the material expression of a productive model but also an active agent in constructing and regulating the Pontine agrarian territory. Rural building emerges not only as the material outcome of a productive model but also as an active agent in shaping the agrarian territory. The research helps establish a comparative framework for interpreting Italian rural landscapes, supporting the valorization of vernacular heritage and reflection on the implicit planning principles embedded in typological architecture. Full article

Enhancing farmers’ livelihood resilience is a cornerstone of sustainable rural development and poverty alleviation consolidation in developing countries. While tourism has emerged as a prominent rural revitalization strategy, the mediating role of tourism-induced land use transitions in building resilience—and the underlying spatial mechanisms through which these transformations operate—remains inadequately understood. This study integrates Henri Lefebvre’s spatial production theory with land systems analysis to examine how tourism-driven land use transitions influence farmers’ livelihood resilience in rural China. Using provincial panel data and three waves (2018, 2020, 2022) of nationally representative household survey data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), we construct a comprehensive tourism development index emphasizing land transformation dimensions and employ panel regression models with instrumental variables and threshold analysis. The findings reveal that tourism-induced land use transitions significantly enhance farmers’ livelihood resilience through three distinct spatial mechanisms: land-based rural infrastructure investment, industrial land structure rationalization, and cultural facility land development. Importantly, this relationship exhibits a double-threshold effect with diminishing marginal returns, and the positive impact is substantially stronger in heritage-rich regions with comparative policy advantages. By establishing land use transitions as a critical spatial production pathway linking tourism to sustainable livelihood outcomes, this study advances land systems science, offering a novel theoretical framework for integrating people–nature interactions in heritage-rich rural areas and practical guidance for strategic land use planning in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Full article

This study presents a fire risk assessment of traditional wooden dwellings in Southern Hunan, focusing on Zhoujia Compound—a nationally protected cultural heritage site. By applying Pyrosim fire simulation software, we modeled fire spread, smoke dispersion, and temperature variation under localized architectural and environmental conditions. The simulations, informed by real-time wind speed monitoring, revealed that key fire risks stem from open flame activities during festivals, charcoal heating, and inadequate electrical wiring. Structural features such as interconnected wooden beams and open courtyards exacerbate fire spread. The results identified high-risk zones and demonstrated that wind speed and building orientation significantly affect fire dynamics. Based on these findings, we propose targeted fire prevention strategies, including fire-retardant treatments, improved compartmentalization, and community-level fire education. This research offers a novel, simulation-based approach to improving fire safety in traditional villages, contributing to both cultural heritage protection and rural fire risk mitigation. Full article

Preservation design is characterized by high interactions among different skills, including both architectural and engineering field. When the architectural heritage is composed of the ruins of a medieval fortress, the contribution of archeological studies is fundamental to recognize the different construction phases of the building. This work presents the most recent stratigraphic analyses conducted on the fortress of Vogogna, a military masonry castle in Ossola Valley, Piedmont, whose origin is lost in time and provides further support to define the correct interpretation of the architectural artifact. Previous studies showed several shortcomings concerning the historical evolution of the structure and a precise geometrical survey. The authors developed a geometrical model of the archeological site, through advanced survey techniques, and analyzed the historical maps of the cadasters to investigate additions and transformations of the abandoned fortress and its connection with the rural and natural surrounding fields. The updated information provided new indications for the past uses of the building, and the digital model allowed further considerations on the geometrical characteristics of the structures, addressing some choices for the final reuse proposal for the site, today at the center of a wider project to enhance the cultural heritage in the Vogogna area. Full article

Historic and cultural towns in China are crucial carriers of vernacular heritage, yet many unlisted historic buildings remain highly vulnerable to urbanization and fragmented governance. This study takes Xiangzhu Town in Zhejiang Province as a case study and develops a multidimensional evaluation framework—integrating value, morphology, and risk—to identify conservation priorities and guide adaptive reuse. The results highlight three key findings: (1) a spatial pattern of “core preservation and peripheral renewal,” with historical and artistic values concentrated in the core, scientific value declining outward, and functional diversity emerging at the periphery; (2) a morphological structure characterized by “macro-coherence and micro-diversity,” as revealed by balanced global connectivity and localized hotspots in space syntax analysis; and (3) differentiated building risks, where most assets are low to medium risk, but some high-value ancestral halls show accelerated deterioration requiring urgent action. Based on these insights, a collaborative framework of “graded management–classified guidance–zoned response” is proposed to align systematic restoration with community-driven revitalization. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of the value–morphology–risk approach for small historic towns, offering a replicable tool for differentiated heritage conservation and sustainable urban–rural transition. Full article

The valorization of local plant cover, particularly through the integration of indigenous knowledge, is central to Tunisia’s economic development strategies. These approaches focus on diversifying agriculture by enhancing local natural and cultural heritage to strengthen community resilience amid environmental and socio-economic changes and to address rural exodus. This study examines the feasibility of AMP-based micro-projects in Matmata (southeastern Tunisia) by applying the Water–Energy–Food–Ecosystem (WEFE) nexus and participatory methods involving local stakeholders. Field surveys, literature reviews, and statistical analyses reveal growing youth interest in AMP ventures, driven by rising pharmaceutical and cosmetic demand. Economic viability is confirmed by internal rate of return (IRR) values of 32%, 28%, and 43%, all well above the 10% profitability threshold. Profitability index (PI) values indicate efficient investments, yielding returns of 2.64, 2.13, and 5.31 dinars per dinar invested. The initiatives also deliver socio-cultural and environmental benefits through WEFE-based resource management. Beyond profitability, the study identifies gaps and opportunities to enhance AMP biodiversity, resource management, and sustainable diversification in southern Tunisia. Further efforts are required to increase market value and ensure equitable benefit distribution. Government policies should focus on raising WEFE awareness, building capacity, and investing in climate-smart agriculture, especially in vulnerable, migration-prone regions, supported by reforms in financing, taxation, and spatial planning. Full article

Unlike widely examined urban settings, heritage-led rural regeneration remains an urgent yet insufficiently explored challenge. Grounded in stimulus–response theory, this study examines how heritage capacity influences the regeneration of traditional villages in Hebei Province, China. Drawing on community-building theory, heritage capacity (stimulus) is conceptualized through five dimensions: Public Participation, Media Platform Construction, Adaptive Reuse, Heritage Industry Development, and Landscape Maintenance. Village regeneration (response) is evaluated across economic, social, and environmental dimensions. Using PLS-SEM analysis of questionnaire data and expert consultations, the study shows that regeneration outcomes arise from an integrated system in which tangible and intangible capacities reinforce each other. It further highlights that the most effective strategy combines priority investment with strategic repositioning. For economic sustainability, Adaptive Reuse and Media Platform Construction serve as immediate drivers, while Heritage Industry Development and Landscape Maintenance provide long-term foundations. For social sustainability, Public Participation and Media Platform Construction act as key enablers by strengthening social connections. For environmental sustainability, Adaptive Reuse offers the most direct benefits, whereas Landscape Maintenance and Public Participation contribute gradual but essential outcomes. This study offers practical guidance for the regeneration of Hebei’s villages, proposing a scalable model for sustainable rural development that has broad implications for similar historical regions worldwide. Full article

Rural depopulation and the abandonment of historic settlements are pressing challenges for contemporary spatial planning, particularly in regions with a rich architectural and cultural heritage. This article examines the ruins of Moya, in Cuenca (Spain), as a case study to develop an integrated rural revitalisation strategy. The research combines historical building analysis, assessment of structural deterioration, and planning for economic reactivation to create a comprehensive framework for transforming abandoned sites into a viable cultural resource. The proposed model favours temporary and flexible occupation over permanent repopulation, promoting forms of use that respect and preserve the site’s historical identity. The approach builds on principles of activating monumental heritage, integrating the vernacular fabric, and organising the site into distinct functional areas. Moya is thus presented not only as an example of abandonment, but also as a replicable prototype for intervention in other declining rural environments, where heritage can serve as a strategic resource for sustainable development and territorial cohesion. The main objectives are to develop and test an integrated strategy for rural regeneration that goes beyond physical restoration, combining adaptive reuse, heritage conservation, and educational and cultural programmes to stimulate the local economy and reinforce territorial identity. The approach is evaluated through the case of Moya and contrasted with other national and international experiences to assess its replicability. Full article

The evolution of traditional rural settlements is a dynamic process. During urbanization, traditional rural settlements, as dual carriers of natural and cultural heritage, face the structural contradiction between preservation and development. The 2008 Wenchuan earthquake caused systemic damage to the Linpan settlements in western Sichuan. The post-seismic reconstruction (2008-) and rural revitalization (2017-) phases have offered a unique case for exploring sustainable cultural landscape patterns. This study innovatively devises a “preservation–development” dual-system evaluation framework. Using the coupling coordination degree model, it analyzes the characteristics of Linpan at different stages within a composite cultural–economic–social system. The study found that while tangible carriers can be quickly repaired through financial support, intangible culture is often at risk of losing its inheritors. Over 60% of Linpan depend on government support, exposing the fragility of “dependence-based development”, and few achieve high-quality “preservation–development” synergy (coupling coordination degree D > 0.8). Most remain in a “preservation lag–development obstruction” cycle (D < 0.5). This paper explores ways to balance Linpan preservation and development dynamically and suggests creating a self-cycling “resource empowerment–cultural identity–value transformation” development pattern. It provides a theoretical reference for cultural heritage preservation and disaster resilience building and contributes a unique solution for the revitalization of traditional settlements. Full article

At present, industrial heritage preservation in China often focuses on individual industrial buildings, lacking a holistic consideration of industrial settlements (e.g., industrial cities, towns, and villages). This study draws upon the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach to construct a research framework that applies to industrial settlements, considering both integrity and layering. Taking the case of Tongguan Ancient Town—a typical industrial settlement—this study uses the integrated approach of historical materials acquisition, oral interview, and field investigation to review the interactive evolution of industry and space across three historical periods. It identifies a comprehensive set of heritage elements within the Tongguan industrial settlement and proposes a preservation framework for its industrial heritage. The key findings are threefold: industrial settlement heritage possesses characteristics of integrity and layering; the HUL approach can be effectively applied to industrial settlement studies; and the protection of industrial settlements is a crucial step toward establishing a complete system for the inheritance and preservation of China’s urban and rural historical and cultural heritage. Full article