Characteristics, correlations of traditional street space elements and tourist density following spontaneous renovation: a case study on Suzhou’s Shantang Street

Abstract

Shantang Street in Suzhou serves as the object of this study; field investigation, street mapping, data statistics, and other methods are utilized to observe spatial elements, tourist density, and the relationships among them. The spatial elements of Shantang Street are divided into basic elements (store density, facade opening, water proximity, D/H) and activity elements (upper shelter, commercial overflow, life overflow). These characteristics are also analyzed quantitatively. Next, tourists on Shantang Street are counted on-site to analyze their basic density. The SPSS software Canonical Correlation tool is utilized to establish a relationship between basic elements and activity elements; a set of canonical variates with a significant correlation between the two are obtained. The SPSS Multiple Regression tool is then used to observe the correlation between tourist density and street space elements. Store density, D/H, water proximity, commercial overflow, life overflow, and tourist density are found to be significantly correlated.

Riverside building boundary spatial characteristics and utilization patterns in China post-urbanization: a case study on Shantang River, Suzhou

“…There have also been previous studies on the external space through spatial elements. Zhang et al (2020) studied the space of Shantang Street and divided its spatial elements into "basic" and "activity" categories, summarizing the notable aspects and correlations among each of them. Saito et al (2009) studied courtyard space in Milan in terms of indoor elements, wall elements, moving line equipment elements, landscape elements, attached elements, and paint lines.…”

A 3D Spatial Diagnostic Framework of Sustainable Historic and Cultural District Preservation: A Case Study in Henan, China

“…The Charter for the Conservation of Historic Towns and Urban Areas established in 1987 protects the street patterns and spatial forms and formal appearance (scale, size, style, construction, materials, colors, and decoration) in historic towns and historic urban areas. To achieve the effective protection and sustainable development of historical and cultural districts, researchers focus on the spatial form, street density, street continuity, height-width ratio [3][4][5][6], skyline [7][8][9], and store density [10]. Architectural features focus on architectural style, material, roof form, roof material, gable form [11][12][13], height, and width [14,15].…”

“…Architectural features focus on architectural style, material, roof form, roof material, gable form [11][12][13], height, and width [14,15]. The architectural details focus on traditional façade elements, window and door ratios, and facade opening degrees [10,16,17]. Steven Tiesdell emphasizes that new buildings should respect not only the spatial form of historical districts, including the scale and size of buildings, but also the architectural features, including vertical and horizontal rhythms, facade emptiness and fullness, and recognizable materials and practices [1].…”