Page 90 - JCAU-7-2

Journal of Chinese

Architecture and Urbanism

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Computational urbanism and the spatial

evolution of Dashilar, Beijing, China

Feng Xu * , Liu Xiao 2 , Pingshan Qu 2 , Weiwei Mao 2 , and Yuchen Zhu 2
1
1 WAX Studio, Urban Planning Institute, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, China
2 Laboratory for Creative Design, Architecture and Culture Society of China, Beijing, China
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Chinese Cities of Tomorrow: Computing and Prototyping
Intelligent Forms of Future Urbanism)

Abstract

Beijing’s urban development follows a cyclical pattern, reflecting its evolution from
ancient dynasties to modern times and highlighting the challenges of balancing
historic preservation with contemporary urban growth. The Qianmen Dashilar
area in Beijing, China, rooted in the traditional hutong system, exemplifies these
challenges and serves as a focal point for exploring strategies to harmonize heritage
conservation with dynamic urban transformation. This article examines the evolution
of the Dashilar area during the urbanization process, focusing on the transformation
of its urban structures and courtyard houses. It aims to address the long-standing
*Corresponding author: challenges of preservation and regeneration faced during the area’s urban
Feng Xu
(xufeng@cass-up.com) transformation. To tackle these issues, the article proposes the use of computational
methods to establish dynamic urban models based on modulated urban programs
Citation: Xu, F., Xiao, L.,
Qu, P., Mao, W., & Zhu, Y. (2025). and crowd flow dynamics. By developing three computational urban prototypes –
Computational urbanism and cell aggregation, mixed blocks, and node control – through site analysis and data
the spatial evolution of Dashilar, collection, this study re-establishes the connection between the urban grid and
Beijing, China. Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism, 7(2): urban programs while revitalizing courtyard spaces. These methodologies aim to
4056. balance the preservation of Dashilar’s traditional urban fabric with the diverse living
https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.4056 demands arising from urban growth. In doing so, the article advocates for a multi-
Received: June 27, 2024 dimensional approach to safeguarding the area’s cultural and historical heritage
while supporting its future urban regeneration and evolution.
Revised: November 14, 2024
Accepted: November 29, 2024
Keywords: Urban regeneration; Design prototype; Evolution; Urban dynamic model;
Published online: December 19,
2024 Computational urbanism
Copyright: © 2024 Author(s).
This is an open-access article
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution- 1. Introduction
Non-Commercial 4.0 International
(CC BY-NC 4.0), which permits all Beijing’s urban development follows a cyclical pattern reminiscent of the growth rings
non-commercial use, distribution, of a tree, expanding and evolving incrementally over time. This evolutionary trajectory
and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is can be traced from the Jin (266 – 420) and Yuan (1271 – 1368) dynasties through the
properly cited. Ming (1368 – 1644), and Qing (1644 – 1912) dynasties. Transforming ahistorical capital,
Publisher’s Note: AccScience such as Beijing, inevitably presents challenges, such as managing historic central living
Publishing remains neutral with areas, balancing traditional urban features with modern elements, and preserving
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional these characteristics while fostering a harmonious relationship with contemporary
affiliations. urban development. This research focuses on the Dashilar area in Beijing, China, using

Volume 7 Issue 2 (2025) 1 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.4056