An evaluation approach to spatial identity in historic urban areas from a humanistic perspective

Urban spatial identity,as the core content of a distinctive urban image and the representation of urban competitiveness and attraction,is critical to cities in the rapid development process.In view of maintaining and strengthening the spatial identity in a historic urban area,which is the key issue of urban construction in China at present,based on the literature review of Chinese urban spatial identity studies,three research paradigms are summarized:landscape,culture,and economy.Although the traditional evaluation method of spatial identity in historic urban areas has focused on the scarcity of characteristic resources,the relation-ship between characteristic resources and human beings has been ignored.Therefore,based on the declaration of the fundamental mechanism of urban spatial identity in historic urban areas,a new evaluation method was proposed considering four aspects,including object,subject,content,and indicators.The results indicated that the framework of evaluation and design,which is based on the assessment of the relationship between characteristic resources and human beings,is an effective strategy to improve the scientific evaluation of urban spatial identity.Our study has substantial implications for urban planners and managers in solving the urban identity crisis issue in historic urban areas.

A Study on the Correlation Between Residential Patterns and Carbon Emissions from Residents' Transportation:A Case Study of Caoyang Xincun in Shanghai

As residential patterns and types are closely related to population densities, carbon emissions from residents' transportation are logically correlated with the population density, as well as the diversity of facilities and the accessibility of transportation stations. This paper takes Shanghai Caoyang Xincun as a case, and studies the correlation between the residential patterns and carbon emissions through questionnaire data analysis on eight types of residential patterns. The results show that the relationship between the population density of Caoyang Xincun and the per capita traffic carbon emissions is a nonlinear fl uctuation, that the relationship between the diversity of facilities and carbon emissions is positively correlated, and that the relationship between the accessibility of transportation stations and carbon emissions is negatively correlated. It also finds that the per capita carbon emissions in residential areas with multi-storey enclosed buildings and small high-rise row buildings are different from other patterns. With a further study on occupational structure and family income, it concludes that the carbon emission difference is caused by consumer segregation based on social structure. Therefore, when judging whether a residential pattern is low carbon or not, the spatial and social implications of density should be clarified first. Then the national and regional development conditions need to be considered to guide the future development of residential patterns.