Page 101 - JCAU-6-2

Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Residential urban heritage space study

spaces. Conversely, within the Nakauji Historic District, the this work. I am also deeply thankful to Okuyama Yokiho
spatial configuration of traditional commercial buildings, from the Department of Architecture at Kyoto University.
known as “Machiya,” limits the expansion of commercial Conducting comprehensive field research in Uji City with
capital, thereby safeguarding the internal residential urban him has not only broadened my understanding, but also
heritage spaces. elevated the academic rigor of this project. In addition, I
owe a special debt of gratitude to Dr. Dang Xinyuan for his
7. Conclusion and outlook guidance and assistance throughout the writing process.
Grounded in space syntax and spatial entropy theories, His expert advice and continued support have been
this study constructs an analytical model for residential instrumental in propelling this research forward, instilling
urban heritage spaces, encompassing spatial topology me with the confidence to complete this endeavor. The
and material structure systems. The model delineates the collective contributions of these individuals serve as the
intrinsic compositional logic of residential urban heritage cornerstone for the successful completion of this research,
spaces across multiple dimensions – ranging from the life for which I will be eternally grateful.
centrality and global centrality of streets to population Funding
distribution, building density, and spatial morphology –
and assesses and categorizes the value of residential heritage. None.

The findings indicate that the renewal and Conflict of interest
touristification of historic districts primarily follow streets
characterized by higher life centrality and global centrality. The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
This dynamism changes the structure of residential heritage Author contributions
spaces in terms of business operations, functional layout,
and architectural forms, leading to the aggregation of a Conceptualization: Yukun He, Xiao Han
diverse population and the outward migration of residential Formal analysis: Yukun He
spaces. The pathways of these spatial paradigm shifts are Investigation: All authors
mainly influenced by spatial topological relationships. Methodology: Yukun He
However, whether it pertains to the expansion of consumer Writing – original draft: Yukun He
services or the functional layout related to residents’ lives, Writing – review & editing: All authors
substantive changes seldom penetrate the inner parts of
the district. This phenomenon is primarily attributable to Ethics approval and consent to participate
the “resistance” effect exerted by street and alley spaces, Not applicable.
coupled with the limitations imposed by architectural
forms on commercial spaces, which collectively protect the Consent for publication
integrity and authenticity of the internal spaces. Therefore, Not applicable.
the preservation of alley spaces and the regulation of the
forms and types of businesses along the streets emerge as Availability of data
effective measures for protecting internal residential spaces.
The spatial data for Uji City can be obtained from the
Within the context of grand narratives surrounding Japan Geospatial Information Authority, which is publicly
historic districts, a focus on the daily lives and living accessible via their official website: https://www.gsi.go.jp.
spaces of local residents, alongside the protection of their Data concerning Suzhou City can be obtained from the
immediate interests, emerges as the foundation for the Suzhou Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau,
sustainable development of residential urban heritage available on their official website: https://www.suzhouhui.
spaces. Future research will further refine this model, com/point/2898.html. Point of Interest (POI) data was
thereby enhancing its efficacy on guiding the conservation gathered using Google Cloud APIs, details of which can
and development of residential urban heritage spaces. be found on the Google Cloud website: https://cloud.
google.com/apis. Some of the base maps used in this
Acknowledgments study can be sourced from OpenStreetMap: https://www.
I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to the openstreetmap.org.
dedicated staff of the Uji City Office, whose invaluable
insights and meticulous guidance have been pivotal in References
the realization of this research. Their willingness to share Ashrafi, B., Kloos, M., & Neugebauer, C. (2021). Heritage impact
their expertise has significantly enriched the quality of assessment, beyond an assessment tool: A comparative

Volume 6 Issue 2 (2024) 15 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.1732