Work

Coupling measurement of historic districts’ spatial morphology and public perception: a case study of Shen’ao Village, Tonglu, Hangzhou, China

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This study reviews the multidimensional research perspectives and methodologies concerning spatial morphology and spatial perception in historic districts. Addressing the lack of integrated methods and analytical techniques that leverage multimodal social media data in existing studies, it proposes an innovative approach for measuring the relationship between spatial morphology and public perception in historic districts. The Shen’ao Historic District in Tonglu County, Hangzhou, is selected as the case study, and Kevin Lynch’s The Image of the City is adopted as the theoretical framework to analyze and assess the district’s spatial morphology and public perception. By combining multimodal social media data with machine learning and deep learning techniques, two machine learning models are developed to examine the influence of spatial morphology elements on public perception. The main findings are as follows: ⑴ The spatial image elements of the Shen’ao Historic District are consistent with its spatial patterns; ⑵ Spatial morphology elements derived from multimodal social media data exert pronounced visually driven, hierarchical, and nonlinear effects on public perception; ⑶ Public perception of historic districts is shaped by the synergistic interaction among multiple spatial elements and the integration of spatial narratives.

Source: Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering

DOI: 10.1080/13467581.2026.2656529

Authors: Fuying Liu, Zhaohui Wang

Institutions: Northeastern University, Zhijiang College of Zhejiang University of Technology

Language: English

Topic: Urban Design and Spatial Analysis

Subfield: Building and Construction

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,165