What makes historic districts thrive? Spatial configurations and differentiated strategies for heritage regeneration

Abstract

Understanding how spatial morphology shapes vitality in historic districts is critical for context-sensitive regeneration, yet existing studies often rely on linear or single-factor explanations. Departing from conventional correlational approaches that focus on single-factor analysis, this study adopts a configurational perspective to examine how multiple spatial conditions jointly generate vitality outcomes. Using fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), we analyze 20 historic districts in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) based on multi-source data, including GIS-based spatial indicators, POIs, social media check-ins, and nighttime light data. The results identify four distinct configurational pathways leading to high vitality, demonstrating clear patterns of multiple conjunctural causation and equifinality. High vitality can be achieved through different combinations of accessibility, road network structure, heritage concentration, ecological quality, and land-use composition, rather than through any single dominant factor. Moreover, the absence of accessibility and network connectivity emerges as a critical constraint for low-vitality districts, highlighting the asymmetric nature of vitality formation. By revealing alternative spatial configurational pathways to vitality, this study contributes a diagnostic framework that supports configuration-specific regeneration strategies. The findings offer practical insights for heritage management and urban renewal by enabling planners to move beyond one-size-fits-all solutions toward more targeted, context-aware interventions.

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