Exploration of the Conservation and Renewal Strategy of Historic Districts from the Perspective of Collective Linkage Theory:A Case Study Based on Rongdeli,Guangzhou
Historic districts are vulnerable to rapidly changing urban environments,becoming fragmented and isolated and ultimately declining.Therefore,they require effective protection due to their inherent significant value and resources.The conservation and renewal of historic districts constitute ongoing and dynamic processes.While existing research has established a relatively mature theoretical framework,there remains a need to approach the issue integrally and dynamically,exploring methods for historic districts to overcome decline and achieve sustainable development."Collective"refers to a set of structurally or behaviourally related composite elements,characterised by integrity and dynamics.In the long term,during the development process,elements such as buildings,landscapes and cultural customs within historic districts gradually accumulate but become threatened and begin to disperse into isolated elements during periods of decline,ultimately leading to their disappearance.This study attempts to view historic districts as integral architectural collectives and as internal sub-collectives of urban collectives.Building upon Fumihiko Maki's collective theory,the study introduces the theory of collective linkage to construct a holistic-level conservation and renewal strategy in four steps.1)Distinguishing internal sub-collectives:The rich elements and sub-collectives are the embodiment of historic districts'value and the starting point for conservation and renewal.In the early stages of conservation and renewal work,conducting surveys,recording and preserving internally related elements within historic districts form the basis of the original collectives.This provides a reference point and support for the placement of other elements and the implementation of collective linkages.2)Extending linkage clues:Linkage clues reflect the different types of relationships between sub-collectives and provide ways to connect discrete elements and subsets.Spatial linkages integrate original discrete buildings through nodes,corridors,regions and other point-line-surface dimensions,providing a carrier for the extension of other linkage clues.Temporal linkages demonstrate historical continuity and cultural inheritance,viewing the periodic prosperity and decline of various areas in the city as connecting forces,making historic districts witnesses to urban developmental history.Behavioural linkages and social linkages are distinguished by scale differences.Behavioural linkages tend to focus on the process and interrelation of individual behaviours,while social linkages emphasise the overall social action process and the construction of collective memory.3)Expanding linkage operations:Linkage operations are used to find specific methods for applying linkage clues in elements and sub-collectives to ultimately form collectives.These include"Initial unity-selection","Intermediate medium-mediation","Boundary restriction-definition","Common elements-repetition","Creating sequences-process"and"Mixed overlay-hierarchy".4)Addressing linkage instability:In the dynamic process of conservation and renewal,it is necessary to maintain the overall stability of historic districts.In the later stages of conservation and renewal work,preventive and responsive measures are proposed to address the potential linkage instability issues that historic districts may face,promoting the dynamic integration of historic districts and their integration with the urban environment.Under the guidance of collective linkage theory,a framework for the conservation and renewal of historic districts has been constructed and validated through practical implementation in the Rongdeli Historic District in Guangzhou.The original historic buildings,residents'lives and cultural customs in Rongdeli gradually dispersed and disappeared during urban expansion.The application of linkage has allowed for the integration of new and old elements,re-establishing stable collectives that actively integrate Rongdeli into the urban environment.This study is based on a combination of theoretical frameworks and practical cases but lacks quantitative analysis in exploring and utilising collective linkages.In the next step,we will conduct interdisciplinary research and quantitative analysis to improve the theoretical depth and scientific rigour,aiming to provide insights into the conservation and renewal of similar historic districts facing decline.
conservation and renewal for historic districtscollective linkage theoryurban decline areasRongdeli
国家科技期刊平台
NSTL
万方数据
