Track 4.11: Reading the Spatial Dimension: Dynamics of Culture and Inclusion

In recent years, the focus of heritage conservation has shifted from the individual protection of historical relics to the integrate conservation of entire regions, with an emphasis on the sociocultural dimensions of architectural heritage alongside its material aspects. In 2011, UNESCO's Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape in Asia and the Pacific expanded the connotation of integrate conservation for historic areas across temporal and elemental dimensions, emphasizing that the protection of urban historical landscapes should transcend the preservation of physical spaces and prioritize the improvement of living environments. Shiyan is located in the Lixiahe Plain in China, characterized by flat terrain and a dense water network. In 411 AD, it became a regional political center, and by 1768, it had developed into a key commercial port. The historic district of Shiyan extends along the water system, maintaining an intact aquatic layout. To preserve the district's structure during development, a new commercial and residential center was established to the southeast. The ancient town of Shiyan not only retains the traditional street fabric, historic architectural clusters, and other physical and spatial imprints but also continues intangible cultural heritage skills, festive rituals, and other socio-cultural features, making it a quintessential example of historic stratification. However, amid rapid development, the historic district faces challenges such as social division due to population outflow in adjacent areas and spatial differentiation leading to the dilemma of a protection silo. Specifically, on the social front, the exodus of original residents and an aging population have fractured traditional geographical ties, triggering intergenerational cultural disconnection. Spatially, the aging infrastructure of the historic district, coupled with poor transportation and a disconnect in functional positioning with neighboring areas, has resulted in an isolated enclave. The social value and sustainability goals of historic districts primarily manifest in fostering cultural diversity and building inclusive societies (Wan Tingting, 2020). Consequently, the introduction of symbiosis theory (KISHO KUROKAWA, 1987) into the field of urban-rural heritage conservation underscores the need for historic districts to derive sustainable momentum through functional complementarity and the restructuring of social networks (Xiao Jing, 2025). The integrated methodology employs satellite image interpretation, OD surveys, spatial annotation, and web data scraping to collect multi-source datasets—including land parcels, POI data and behavioral heatmap data. These datasets are consolidated into a foundational neighborhood database within ArcGIS, enabling subsequent dimensional quantitative analysis. Functionally, abstracting land parcels were used to statistically quantify the proportion and complementarity of commercial formats. For transportation, OD analysis measured connectivity and integration. In terms of facilities, kernel density and statistical methods assessed service equity. Culturally, spatiotemporal heatmaps were employed to study the scope of cultural influence. Findings revealed a symbiotic relationship between the historic district and adjacent areas, characterized by functional coupling and complementarity, marginal permeability in transportation, shared facilities at the periphery, and cultural isolation. Based on this, the functional mix strategy and social mix strategy for conservation and renewal are proposed to promote diversified and inclusive community development. Functional mix strategy: 1) Restore historical buildings such as granaries and cinemas, transforming them into community libraries and youth apartments. 2) Delineate complementary business zones, integrating culture-service-office mixed modules into industrial heritage sites. 3) Improve the efficiency and permeability of pedestrian walkways. 4) Enrich supporting facilities to foster the development of proximity network. Social mixing strategy: 1) Guide the shaping of local identity, fully expressing residents' right to choose. 2) Mandatorily integrate social housing into the newly built and renovated residential systems within the conservation areas. 3) Organize cultural activities to inherit the local cultural heritage resources.

The water network spatial pattern is an important part of a city's natural environment and also a carrier of historical culture. During the period of rapid urbanization, human activities interacted more frequently with the natural environment, leading to widespread problems such as the disruption of urban water network patterns, the deterioration of ecological quality, and the loss of spatial characteristics. To protect the urban water network layout and promote the transformation of urban space, it is necessary to first understand the process of its changes. The understanding and judgment of the evolution mechanism of urban characteristics are of crucial importance. The study proposed a framework for analyzing the spatial pattern of water networks. By recreating the historical landscape of water networks in the Suzhou area, it explored the evolution process, and summarized its driving mechanism and influencing factors. The aim was to analyze the correlations between the urban water system and the natural ecological pattern, as well as the regional social culture and urban construction in Suzhou. The study selected the city of Suzhou, which has a relatively complete historical development context and distinct characteristics, as the research area, and conducted both historical and contemporary studies.The research extracts the water network elements from ancient maps from various historical periods and restores them to a unified-dimensional map for analysis of spatial patterns, spatial structures, and evolution processes. It also extracts relevant content and keywords about water networks from ancient paintings, poems, and other artistic works to reflect the public's perception of the construction of water network spaces. By combining the analysis of material space and humanistic environment, it extracts the influencing factors of spatial development. The research results indicate that the spatial geographical, economic and cultural elements of the water network in Suzhou interact with each other, and the development interrelation between urban construction, production and life, and cultural activities presents an evolution trajectory from emergence, growth, stability to prosperity. The ancient city area presents a "double-checkered pattern" of water systems and roads. Nowadays, the transportation function of urban water systems has gradually weakened and has been replaced by activities such as leisure and tourism. The research has summarized the evolution patterns and influencing factors of the water network space in Suzhou, providing theoretical references and specific countermeasures for the protection of urban water systems, the enhancement of urban appearance, and the inheritance of culture.

Hydraulic heritage significantly shapes community identity and socio-ecological resilience in regions profoundly influenced by historical water management practices. This study takes the Huaibei region in China as an illustrative case, particularly examining the Xuzhou Xiangyang Irrigation System constructed in the 1970s. Originally built to mitigate ecological fragility resulting from the Yellow River’s historical artificial diversion into the Huai River—an event initiated during the Song Dynasty—the irrigation system initially revitalized local agriculture and ecology. Over recent decades, however, its functional decline has transformed the irrigation infrastructure into fragmented heritage landscapes integrated into community culture and identity. This research directly addresses congress themes on culture, identity, and inclusive urban transformation by exploring how hydraulic heritage simultaneously informs local identity and regional ecological resilience. The Huaibei case illustrates the intersection of environmental adaptation, historical water management practices, and community narratives. As cities and rural areas increasingly harness cultural heritage as an urban transformation tool, it becomes essential to understand how historical infrastructures, such as irrigation systems, impact contemporary place identities and local perceptions. The Xiangyang Irrigation System demonstrates the potential of heritage to evolve beyond its original ecological function, becoming a cultural and symbolic anchor for communities. The study emphasizes the importance of integrating community voices into heritage governance, especially when transitioning these infrastructures toward tourism-oriented development. It also contributes to discussions on balancing heritage preservation, identity construction, ecological stewardship, and inclusive tourism, advocating that heritage sites should support diverse community needs rather than merely serving economic objectives. Employing anthropological methods including literature review, oral histories, participatory observation, and semi-structured interviews, this study systematically documents local communities’ varied perceptions of the hydraulic heritage. The results highlight significant divergences in community attachment to the irrigation infrastructure, influenced by their historical interactions, emotional ties, and perceived benefits from the system. Some residents exhibit strong identification, emphasizing cultural pride, historical continuity, and social cohesion generated by shared ecological histories. In contrast, others disconnected from its historical functions demonstrate indifference or weaker place attachment. These nuanced findings suggest the need for inclusive, context-sensitive heritage planning and policies. Heritage governance strategies should explicitly address these varying community narratives and identities. The research proposes establishing participatory platforms for local residents, policymakers, and heritage professionals to collaboratively negotiate heritage meanings, functions, and benefits. This inclusive approach can foster broader community support, ensuring that heritage transformation benefits extend beyond economic tourism goals to strengthen local identity and social cohesion. From a practical planning perspective, this study advocates for developing targeted policies that integrate heritage conservation with ecological resilience and social equity objectives. Recommended actions include creating detailed heritage mapping that captures both tangible and intangible community values, promoting local stewardship of heritage sites, and embedding participatory heritage interpretation within regional planning frameworks. Moreover, the research highlights the potential for hydraulic heritage to enhance socio-ecological resilience by strengthening local capacities for environmental governance. By emphasizing the interconnectedness between cultural identity, historical water management, and ecological resilience, planners can leverage heritage as a multidimensional resource for sustainable development. Consequently, heritage-informed strategies can stimulate regional regeneration, foster inclusive growth, and reinforce community resilience, creating vibrant, identity-rich landscapes responsive to evolving ecological and social challenges.

Residential historic neighborhoods (RHNs) are defined as historic districts where the daily life of indigenous residents constitutes the core function, and spatial morphology preserves traditional neighborhood fabric, representing cultural heritage sites embodying place-based everyday practices. However, under rapid urbanization, cultural commodification, and gentrification-driven renewal strategies, these neighborhoods are undergoing pervasive commercial encroachment, triggering a systemic crisis in residential ecosystems: Commercial spatial substitution forces the relocation of public service facilities, while public space resources face privatization and appropriation, ultimately forming a symbiotic effect of gentrification and spatial dispossession. Existing studies predominantly rely on qualitative case analyses, failing to reveal the universal patterns of gentrification in historic district renewal or identify intra-urban variations.This research breaks new ground by constructing an innovative "space-population-typology" tripartite analytical framework. Integrating spatial morphological data, POI datasets, and LBS big data, we systematically dissect spatial dispossession effects in RHNs. Empirically examining 23 RHNs in Nanjing Old Town reveals:Pervasive spatial alienation: Spatial dispossession manifests across all case studies, with some neighborhoods having been transformed into commercial-residential hybrids;Escalating quotidian mobility burdens: Residents face drastically increased costs in accessing essential services, now requiring cross-neighborhood trips for daily needs;Community functional collapse: Protracted outflow of indigenous residents triggers the disintegration of neighborhood functions and fragmentation of social networks.Our big data-driven diagnostic model for dispossession effects provides a transferable assessment tool for Global South historic neighborhood renewal, balancing heritage conservation and residential justice. The quantitative outcomes offer critical evidence for spatial justice-oriented sustainable urban regeneration.

As a historical and cultural hub in the northwest region of Yixing City, Guanlin Ancient Town traces its origins back to the Qin and Han dynasties (221 BCE–220 CE) and served as the fiefdom of the Marquess of Outing during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25–220 CE). Boasting profound cultural heritage and a distinctive spatial morphology, the town exemplifies a well-preserved historical settlement. To systematically assess its historical and cultural value, this study synthesizes archival records, local chronicles, architectural relics, and spatial patterns, alongside analyzing its sociocultural evolution, to identify the key factors shaping its development. Based on this foundation, an evaluation index system is constructed across four dimensions: historical evolution, urban layout, architectural features, and sociocultural characteristics. Methodologically, a hybrid qualitative-quantitative approach is adopted, integrating textual research, field surveys, space syntax analysis, and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to conduct a comprehensive, multidimensional evaluation of the town’s historical and cultural significance. The findings aim to provide a scientific basis and theoretical framework for the formulation of future conservation strategies.

Zhuangtai in Mengwa area of Funan County is a unique flood control settlement form in the middle reaches of the Huai River in China, carrying the survival wisdom and regional cultural memory of residents along the Huai River to adapt to nature. With the development of the times, Zhuangtai is facing difficulties such as cultural inheritance rupture, population outflow, and idle and declining space. This study aims to explore the sustainable utilization path of rural stock space, with the goal of promoting the coordinated development of Zhuangtai culture protection and rural space revitalization, in order to enhance the identity recognition of rural residents in the Huai River region. Research has shown that the protection of Zhuangtai culture needs to be approached from both the dimensions of material space and intangible culture. On the one hand, it protects the spatial pattern of Zhuangtai high platform settlements, the traditional residential style of "roundabout" buildings, and water tower flood prevention facilities as material carriers. On the other hand, it explores intangible cultural connotations such as willow weaving skills, fishing and hunting customs, and flood resistance spirit. In terms of the utilization strategy of existing space, a technical path of "cultural gene decoding spatial type identification functional composite implantation" is proposed: combining the "Zhuang Tai+" model, promoting the organic integration of cultural exhibitions, ecotourism, handmade experiences and other formats with existing space, transforming idle residential areas into Huaihe Cultural Museum, Liubian Intangible Cultural Heritage Workshop, etc; Integrate the water resources around Zhuangtai, implant activities such as Mengwa leisure, folk experience, and agricultural science popularization, and achieve the unity of ecological value and economic value; Optimize public spaces, integrate functions such as folk festivals, flood prevention memorials, and flood prevention education, and enhance villagers' cultural identity. In terms of implementation mechanism, a diversified collaborative model of "government guidance, village participation, and social involvement" should be established, differentiated renovation standards should be formulated, and the relationship between protection and development should be balanced. Research suggests that the coordinated promotion of cultural protection and utilization of existing space in Zhuangtai can not only continue the cultural roots of the Huai River region, but also provide sustainable spatial solutions for rural revitalization in Mengwa area through cultural empowerment, achieving the dynamic inheritance of flood control and settlement heritage and high-quality development of rural space.

In recent years, Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 has placed strong emphasis on addressing environmental challenges associated with urban development, particularly through the revitalization of existing cities. A central component of this strategy is the implementation of Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) initiatives. Major urban centers such as Riyadh, Jeddah, and Makkah have witnessed substantial architectural and infrastructural transformations, notably the development of advanced public transportation systems. These efforts aim to reduce reliance on private vehicles and to foster the integration of residential, commercial, and public spaces within accessible and efficient transit networks. This paper investigates the relationship between housing preferences and Transit-Oriented Development in Makkah, with a particular focus on residential choices in proximity to bus terminals. The study explores how sociocultural values and norms influence these preferences and shape public perceptions of TOD. Addressing a critical gap in the literature, the research examines not only the demand for housing near transit nodes but also the sociocultural acceptability of TOD within the local context. Data were collected through a combination of archival research, semi-structured interviews with urban planning experts, and surveys administered to residents in Makkah. The paper offers three main contributions: (1) it assesses resident preferences prior to TOD implementation; (2) it analyzes how demographic characteristics affect housing decisions; and (3) it evaluates the role of sociocultural factors in shaping attitudes toward TOD. The findings provide valuable insights for planners and policymakers aiming to align TOD strategies with local cultural and societal dynamics.

In China, as the newborns from peak birth years gradually reach school age and the post-pandemic economic crisis exerts increasing pressure, students engage in intense competition during their basic education years to secure admission to prestigious high schools and universities, ultimately aiming for better career prospects. This phenomenon of "involution" has contributed to the rapid expansion of "shadow education." Shadow education, also referred to as "private tutoring," "extracurricular tutoring," or "private coaching," consists of privately provided educational activities outside the formal school system, designed to enhance students’ academic performance within formal education. Nanjing, a megacity in eastern China with a population exceeding ten million, boasts a robust economy and a strong educational culture, which has fueled the growth of shadow education. Over the past decade, the number of shadow education-related points of interest (POIs) has surged from 1,910 in 2014 to 4,196 in 2022. This study seeks to address two key questions: 1. How are shadow education institutions spatially distributed across the city? Is their distribution correlated with that of formal schools? 2. From a spatial perspective, the distribution of school education resources in urban areas is inherently uneven and inequitable. Does the emergence and expansion of shadow education help mitigate disparities in educational resources across different urban areas, or does it exacerbate spatial inequalities in education? To answer these questions, this study develops an education resource evaluation system based on three key indicators: supply-demand balance, teaching quality, and accessibility. Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), we assign weights to these factors to quantitatively assess both formal school education and shadow education resources. This analysis generates a "spatial field" of school and shadow education resource distribution in Nanjing. Further, by integrating demographic data, we compute and visualize the "per capita education resource field" across different urban areas. Bivariate spatial autocorrelation analysis is employed to determine whether the distribution and clustering characteristics of two spatial factors—shadow education and formal school education—are interrelated. Through this method, we compare the spatial fields of school education and shadow education to identify urban areas where the two sectors exhibit spatial complementarity or synergy. Subsequently, we analyze the historical evolution and policy implications underlying the spatial patterns observed in these areas. Existing studies on educational resources have primarily focused on formal schooling, seldom incorporating shadow education into quantitative assessments. However, in China, shadow education has increasingly become an essential complement to school education and, in some areas, even surpasses formal schooling in significance. By unveiling the spatial relationship between shadow education and formal school education, as well as their implications for educational equity in urban space, this study provides valuable insights for future policy-making.

(a) Background Coastal Management plays a crucial role in generating local economic development and has a significant impact on climate change adaptation. The mechanisms used by local government to promote the coexistence of coastal management planning, implementation and reporting with climate change governance structures contributes to the development of inclusive economic development. The South African government developed the Ocean Economy under the auspices of Operation Pakisa as a means of unleashing economic development, creation of job opportunities and enabling environmental sustainability. Furthermore, various plans and legislative frameworks have been development to guide coastal management processes and ensure climate change resilient coastal management programmes and projects. (b) Research Methodology/ Methods The study used qualitative research approach focusing on semi-structured interviews with purposively selected participants. Desktop research was used to collect data as part of secondary data. Thematic analysis was used for data analysis. Presentation of findings will be a combination of narrative, graphs and charts. (c) Relevance to the Congress theme Track 3: Adaptation of Dynamic Cities to Extreme Climatic Conditions The systems and processes used by the City of Cape Town to manage its coast in line with climate change adaptation strategies contribute immensely to local economic development, job creation and environmental sustainability. Collaborative planning approaches used by the City of Cape Town with various government departments, private sector and community representatives indicate the coordinated and developmental approach in the implementation of climate change adaptation through coastal management initiatives. (d) Research Gap The findings presented the knowledge gap in the roll-out of capacity building programmes on coastal management in schools within the City of Cape Town. The lack of capacity building programmes aimed at learner development is identified as a risk in the achievement of sustainable and resilient communities aimed at acting as active agents of coastal management and climate change adaptation. There is ineffective political oversight on climate change and coastal management on communities along the coastal area. (e) Contribution to planning and policy making practice The paper provides an in-depth presentation of coastal management planning and policies used by the City of Cape Town in enabling local economic development, job creation and environmental sustainability. The infusion of climate change adaptation initiatives in the planning and implementation of municipal and provincial programmes and projects is presented in this Paper. Key findings illustrated a well-coordinated approach for coastal management and its effect on climate change adaptation in the City of Cape Town. Coastal Management in the City of Cape Town also contributes effectively in enabling resilient communities through job opportunities created by fishing industry, tourism and private companies. The study presents the significance of integrating the municipal Local Economic Development Strategy, Environmental Management Plan, Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) Plan and municipal Spatial Development Framework (SDF), and Land Use Scheme to guide zoning, conservation, commercial land use and climate change adaptation within the coastal area. Collaborative planning consisting of the officials within City of Cape Town and multisectoral stakeholders played a pivotal role in enabling the creation of job opportunities, empowerment of emerging economies in coastal management and climate change adaptation projects. The study provided an interdependence of infrastructure planning and investment regarding renewable energy for the companies along the coastal area. The paper recommends the development of learner capacity development programmes to ensure that coastal management planning and implementation are infused into awareness programmes aimed at achieving resilient communities. The paper further recommends the development of coastal management concurrently with the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) to ensure creation of job opportunities in line with Green Jobs for climate change adaptation and environmental sustainability for viable socio-economic