With large-scale urban demolition, the spatial pattern of the urban area in many cities has been destroyed, leading to the loss of urban regional identity; therefore, these urban spaces need to be urgently studied and protected. Previous studies on the spatial pattern of urban areas focused on spatial morphology or urban texture. However, due to difficulties in obtaining field survey data, such studies cannot comprehensively analyze the space; thus, the proposed conservation strategies are also more one-sided. In order to study the urban space more scientifically and systematically, and to propose a more operable spatial conservation strategy, this paper conducts a new urban space analysis method based on space syntax and the geographic information system using multisource data. With the help of software such as Depthmap and ArcGIS, as well as theories and methods such as space syntax and regression analysis, this article conducted a visual and quantitative analysis of the spatial information data such as integration of urban road networks, building height, architectural style, points of interest, number of lanes, and maximum road speed. Taking the old city of Wuxi as an example, the method’s feasibility was verified. The regression model analysis revealed that, when the integration of the area was higher, the buildings distributed around were multilane, fast lane, modern buildings, taller buildings, commercial buildings, and vice versa, which gives a scientific basis for the proposed strategy of creating regional characteristics of urban space. This new analysis method of urban space is of great significance for the study of urban problems, the exploration of urban characteristics, and the proposal of urban strategies.

Old community renovation is now gradually receiving attention in China's urban construction development, and how to make its public space sustainable has become a research topic. This paper conducts a study of the current situation of public space in old communities from the surface to the deep through field research methods. This paper has summarized four spatial characteristics of public space in old communities, including the increase of boundary space; spatial function is polarized between context-specific user groups and complex but sustainable symbiotic systems. Based on these findings, this paper proposes three sustainable renovation considerations and strategies, which include respecting the rationales of the original space, stimulating the cooperation of stakeholders, and recreating the daily life of residents.

An increasing number of old communities are experiencing deterioration in their living environments, which negatively affects the sustainability of the urban environment. Many cities have tried to solve the above problems through reconstruction or micro-renovation, but the result is unsatisfactory. Social change has led to a shift in the meaning of community, so the space transformation of the old community cannot be carried out simply by increasing the function and beautifying the environment. To achieve sustainable development of the old community, we should recreate the contemporary meaning of the old community. This paper aims to innovate urban design approaches and promote sustainable urban development in its environmental, ecological, and cultural dimensions through the reinvention of vitality and contemporary values of built community spaces. Based on the theory of meaning change, this paper constructs a conceptual framework for the reinvention of space in the old community. In the case study of a block in Rongxiang, Wuxi, we verify the framework’s effectiveness and build spaces more in line with people’s lifestyles in the new era. Based on the study, we conclude that meaning change is the key to achieving sustainable development of old community spaces. The framework can provide a new reference for solving the social problems of aging urban space and achieving sustainable development of the urban environment.

In recent years, designers have increasingly emphasized sustainability in landscape design, but they have focused more on the “human-nature” relationship while neglecting the relationship between people. As a result, problems such as inconvenient use of the landscape and waste of resources for management and renovation have been caused. To solve this problem, it is necessary to establish the correct concept at the beginning of design. Traditional Chinese ideas can often provide appropriate reference points for many contemporary issues, including design. Taking the landscapes of ancient academies in southern Jiangsu as an example, this paper tries to explore the methods and ideas of the designers to deal with the “people-people” relationship in the process of construction, as an example of sustainable landscape design. Both textual research and metrological historiography were used to examine and summarize the characteristics of the landscape construction of the academies in southern Jiangsu, combined with the analysis of the theory of “interpersonal view”. It is apparent that the landscape construction of the academies in southern Jiangsu is characterized by site selection with favorable geography and people, scale and function with the balance of supply and demand, building construction with thrift and efficiency, and a site-specific and simple courtyard built. The formation of these characteristics originates from the founder’s design concept of care about education and being kind to scholars, saving materials and taking good care of the people, benefiting others before to themselves, and portraying the Confucian idea of “great harmony in the world”. The thought and design concept of the landscape construction of the academies in southern Jiangsu can provide a reference point for landscape designers to solve the sustainable problem of the “people-people” relationship in landscape design.