Page 147 - JCAU-7-2

Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Urban features of PRD in online image

online data. However, this study mainly considers public (ii) By applying the methods of image recognition
contributions through photo uploads and does not fully and textual word frequency analysis, this study
address the perspectives of individuals who did not identifies the recognizable features of central towns
participate in this form of expression. A critical question for in the PRD. These towns exhibit distinct themes and
future research is: how can digital technology be employed subtle variations that can guide their development.
to build a representative Lingnan town image network that In formulating town development strategies, these
incorporates both online and offline public participation? features can be further explored and expanded to
transform and optimize the town’s characteristics,
In addition, future efforts should focus on constructing
creating a compelling town image and brand.
urban actor networks to assist in deconstructing traditional (iii) Internet-based image evaluation functions as a form
urban acquaintance networks and rewriting urban of “physical examination” for towns, conducted by the
memory (Hu, 2014). This approach could significantly public. This approach assesses both the external image
improve the spatial image of urban areas. With the and internal experience of towns, mapping public
advancement of informatization and digitalization, future perception of spatial quality, popular activities, and
studies may develop computational models of city images functional division.
using semantic segmentation, data mining, and machine
learning technologies (Filomena et al., 2019). These tools Acknowledgments
could facilitate the integration of online and offline public
participation. This article uncovers image-map features We extend our gratitude to Xu Gaofeng and Zhou Yongxu
influenced by public preference and explores the formation for their valuable assistance with research methods.
mechanism of the digital sense of place (Yu & Chen, 2024). Funding
It also extends Lynch’s urban image theory by predicting
future images that integrate vision, imagination, and real National Natural Science Foundation Project: “Study on
spatial elements. the development mechanism of Lingnan town image
under the participation of network society” (Grant
6. Conclusion: The unique imageability of number: 52178037).
towns in the Internet era Conflict of interest
An urban image represents people’s perception of physical
space combined with their thoughts and emotions, Miaoxi Zhao is an Editorial Board Member of this journal but
making it an effective metric for assessing spatial quality was not in any way involved in the editorial and peer-review
(Tian, 2010). In contemporary settings, spatial media are process conducted for this paper, directly or indirectly.
closely connected to the production of everyday spatial Separately, other authors declared that they have no known
knowledge. The interconnection of cyberspace and competing financial interests or personal relationships that
geospatial dimensions forms a hybrid cyberspace (Elwood could have influenced the work reported in this paper.
& Leszczynski, 2013; Madge & Connor, 2005; Wang & Author contributions
Wang, 2020), which can be used to evaluate regional
development (Chen et al., 2022). Conceptualization: Miaoxi Zhao, Min Xu
Formal analysis: Min Xu, Tengxiao Xie
Based on empirical evidence, this study demonstrates Investigation: Min Xu, Tengxiao Xie
the following key findings: Methodology: Miaoxi Zhao, Min Xu
(i) Urban image is defined by a blend of urban and Writing – original draft: Min Xu, Tengxiao Xie
rural characteristics For example, the integration Writing – review & editing: All authors
of historical features, the overlap of historical and
production spaces, and the circulation of industry Ethics approval and consent to participate
and commerce – identified through the principal
component analysis of urban built-up areas – all Not applicable.
highlight the merging of cities and towns within the Consent for publication
framework of urban development. Simultaneously,
the presence of rural folk customs and agricultural Not applicable.
landscapes underscores the retention of certain rural
attributes. Nevertheless, factor rankings reveal that Availability of data
the urban character dominates the town image, with The data are open-access, and relevant researchers are
rural landscapes playing a secondary role. welcome to contact the authors to access the details.

Volume 7 Issue 2 (2025) 13 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.5733