Selection and Application of Quantitative Indicators of Paths Based on Graph Theory: A Case Study of Traditional Private and Antique Gardens in Beijing

Yunda Wang, Qiguan Shu, Ming Chen (), Xudounan Chen, Shiro Takeda and Junhua Zhang
Additional contact information
Yunda Wang: Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, Chiba 271-8510, Japan
Qiguan Shu: School of Engineering and Design, Technical University of Munich, Arcisstr. 21, 80333 Munich, Germany
Ming Chen: School of Architecture & Urban Planning, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hubei Engineering and Technology Research Center of Urbanization, Wuhan 430074, China
Xudounan Chen: Department of Landscape Architecture Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Tokyo 156-8502, Japan
Shiro Takeda: Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, Chiba 271-8510, Japan
Junhua Zhang: Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, Chiba 271-8510, Japan

Land, 2022, vol. 11, issue 12, 1-21

Abstract: Chinese Traditional Gardens (CTGs) are an important part of China’s cultural inheritance from the past. Today’s China has experienced rapid urbanization, raising the need for a new form of contemporary gardens intended to satisfy peoples’ need for traditional culture. Garden paths are important in CTGs; they are designed to show visitors changing views with each step, and to lead them to secluded, quiet places via winding paths. This enhances the ornamental interest of the gardens. Based on plane graphics, this study evaluates the characteristics of three types of garden paths in fourteen traditional gardens and a contemporary antique garden, the Daguan Garden in Beijing. The analysis uses correlation and factor analysis to integrate 28 quantitative path indicators into five aspects of average, scale, network, wide, and aggregation. The 28 indicators can be expressed by six simple indicators: average connection length, number of path sections, alpha index, average width, average tortuous angle, and concentration degree. The results show small variations of garden paths between traditional gardens, but a considerable difference between the contemporary garden and traditional gardens. The research proposes a framework for the quantification and comparison of garden path features that can be applied before and after garden path construction, for both ancient and modern garden styles. This framework generates garden path feature values and theoretical values of six indicators, and is not constrained by the garden scale. Therefore, it provides an accurate and efficient design tool for garden designers.

Keywords: Beijing private garden; traditional garden; antique garden; quantitative indicators; path design (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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/11/12/2304/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/12/2304/ (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:11:y:2022:i:12:p:2304-:d:1004498

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 ().