Revitalizing Heritage: The Role of Urban Morphology in Creating Public Value in China’s Historic Districts

Ruijie Zhang, Miquel Martí Casanovas, Montserrat Bosch González and Sijie Sun ()
Additional contact information
Ruijie Zhang: Department of Architectural, Building Construction and Urbanism Technology, Escola Tècnica Superior d’Arquitectura de Barcelona, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
Miquel Martí Casanovas: Department of Urbanism, Territory and Landscape, Escola Tècnica Superior d’Arquitectura de Barcelona, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
Montserrat Bosch González: Department of Architectural Technology, Escola Politècnica Superior d’Edificació de Barcelona, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
Sijie Sun: Department of Philosophy, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 11, 1-18

Abstract: In the context of historical districts becoming a key to the urban transformation and high-quality development of Chinese cities, this paper investigates the regeneration of historic environments in China, emphasizing the creation of public value through urban morphology. By analyzing five distinct case studies—Chengdu KuanZhai Alley, Shanghai TianZiFang Alley, Guangzhou EnNing Road, Taiyuan ZhongLou Street, and Beijing NanLuoGu Alley—this study explores the relationship between urban form and public value creation from 2000 to 2020. The research posits that the spatial attribute of “public nature” is central to the regeneration process, highlighting the importance of understanding how urban spaces can foster community engagement and social interaction. An evaluation system is constructed to assess the regeneration of historic areas based on spatial “publicness” and people’s perceptions, addressing the need for a more nuanced approach to urban planning. The findings reveal that effective urban regeneration not only preserves historical significance but also enhances the quality of public spaces, thereby contributing to social equity and cultural integrity. This study aims to provide valuable insights for urban planners and policymakers, advocating for a public value-oriented approach to the renewal of historic districts that balances economic development with the preservation of cultural heritage. The integration of public value concepts into heritage management is crucial for creating vibrant urban environments that resonate with community needs and aspirations.

Keywords: urban regeneration; publicness; urban morphology; public value (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/11/1919/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/11/1919/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:13:y:2024:i:11:p:1919-:d:1521445

Access Statistics for this article

Land is currently edited by Ms. Carol Ma

More articles in Land from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().