Track 4.2: Heritage Conversations: Towards Inclusive Cultural Futures

Since "The Grand Canal of China" was inscribed on The World Heritage List in 2014, its Conservation and development have entered a new stage. However, in the "post-inscription era", it still faces various challenges: first, the management system is in a predicament, the cross-regional and multi-departmental collaboration mechanism is not yet sound, and there are institutional bottlenecks in the Integrated Conservation of the heritage; second, the release of cultural tourism dividends is accompanied by excessive commercialization, weakening its authenticity, and the spirit of the place is at risk of dissolution. Against this backdrop, the study of cultural space shaping for the Grand Canal needs break through traditional thinking on material protection and utilization, and urgently explores new methods for evaluating the cultural value and shaping the space of the Grand Canal. In the contemporary urban renewal process, public spaces with cultural inclusivity have emerged as core carriers that maintain social bonds and shape collective memories. This paper innovatively introduces the phenomenological approach, with "body perception-life world-place spirit" as its theoretical core, to explore the multidimensional value of the Grand Canal deeply as a flowing carrier of Chinese civilization. It transcends the limitations of traditional physical environments and shapes public spaces with cultural inclusivity. It attempts to achieve value enhancement through three dimensions: condense regional characteristics and lifestyles as a cultural symbol system; construct a cross-group dialogue platform as a social interaction medium; promote the community's shift from spatial renewal to cultural regeneration as a transformation engine. This study aims to establish a scalable system for shaping cultural spaces, providing theoretical support for exploring the use of culture to reshape and revitalize urban communities. Its practical applications in planning or policy formulation include three sections. Firstly, it provides a "Chinese solution" for shaping cultural diversity spaces that can be promoted. It creates the "Spatial Shaping Toolkit" which has been verified by the Planning of Jiangsu section of the Grand Canal, it contains highlighting historical and cultural characteristics, reshaping multicultural spaces, optimizing ecological pattern , activating vibrant urban communities, controlling style and form and so on. This can be replicated and promoted to the entire Grand Canal, generating a demonstration and radiation effect, providing new methods for sustainable management of cross-regional living heritage, and offering a "Chinese solution" for exploring innovative cultural expression methods, promoting spatial design strategies for social interaction and cultural diversity, and balancing urban tourism and local community rhythms. Secondly, it serves as a practical guide for the construction of “China's National Cultural Parks”: The strategies of "Experience restoration" and "Meaning empowerment" proposed based on phenomenological value diagnosis can address the current pain points in the conservation of the Grand Canal, such as "emphasizing form over spirit" and "focusing on objects rather than people". Thirdly, it provides a basis for industry technology standard innovation: The developed "Multidimensional value evaluation system" and "Phenomenological design guidelines" can serve as a basis for revising policies such as the " and the . It promotes a shift from spatial control to value guidance in conservation planning.

Ancient and famous trees are those that have been preserved through natural changes and the course of human history, and possess significant ecological, historical and scientific value. As a precious and irreplaceable green heritage, ancient and famous trees have witnessed the dynamic balance among the natural ecosystem, human social culture and urban construction. Since ancient times, people have had a deep affection for ancient and famous trees. They are closely related to rural landscapes, rural life, literary and artistic works, religious beliefs, etc., and carry rich historical and cultural information as well as local identity. However, under the combined pressure of climate change and the development of human activities, the living environment of some ancient and famous trees has been damaged. At present, under the context of rural revitalization, various regions have gradually included ancient and famous trees as key protected objects. The protection and utilization of ancient and famous trees have become an important issue that urgently needs to be addressed in rural development and construction. This study combines the ecological space of ancient and famous trees with the traditional village space, explores the distribution characteristics of ancient and famous tree resources and their relationship with environmental factors, and summarizes the connection between green heritage and local identity. The aim is to provide a theoretical basis and practical guidance for the protection and development of traditional villages as well as cultural inheritance. In the research, the basic data of trees mainly came from the data of the second national census of ancient and famous trees, the location data of traditional villages originated from the national list of traditional villages. Methods such as kernel density analysis, Thiessen polygons, and linear analysis were used to analyze the spatial distribution, aggregation degree, and influencing factors of ancient and famous trees in Ningbo. This study selected typical settlements from 32 national-level traditional villages in Ningbo for in-depth investigation. Field research, interviews, and spatial quantitative analysis were conducted to determine the morphological characteristics, composition types, and characteristic elements of these settlements. Furthermore, the study explored the correlation between the distribution and protection status of ancient and famous trees and their related factors. This study shows that, in general, the ancient and famous trees in Ningbo are mostly located in rural areas, and they have a strong correlation with river systems, transportation routes, and favorable terrain conditions. It can be seen that their distribution is closely related to human construction activities. In the spatial dimension of the village, ancient and famous trees play a central role in the formation of the village layout. Usually, public activity spaces are formed near these trees, and some cultural and sacrificial activities revolve around them. Therefore, the protection of ancient and famous trees needs to be carried out in conjunction with the governance of village water systems, environmental improvement, cultural activities, and tourism development. The research combines green heritage with the protection of traditional villages. It incorporates historical and cultural elements based on natural environmental factors, and explores the protection and sustainable development of green heritage in traditional villages from a life perspective. This provides implementable strategies for rural revitalization and cultural landscape protection.

In recent years, China has been advancing “urban restoration,” encouraging “preservation through adaptive reuse”, and emphasizing the continuity of cultural memory and the revitalization of heritage as key pathways toward inclusive urban transformation. As public spaces embodying both tangible and intangible cultural values, living monastery heritage sites in historic city centers not only carry distinctive lifestyles and local identity, but also offer significant research and practical value. However, with accelerating urbanization, these monasteries—once deeply integrated into urban construction and social life—have gradually retreated to the city’s fringes. This marginalization has led to cultural discontinuities, spatial fragmentation, and disjointed governance between the city and its religious heritage, posing challenges to both urban identity and community cultural expression. This research focuses on the "fringe spaces" at the intersection of living Buddhist monasteries and surrounding urban fabrics in historic districts south of the Yangtze River. With "spatiotemporal patching" as its core perspective, it examines 20 urban monasteries as case studies to investigate the transformation paths and reactivation potential of their fringe zones. The study adopts a four-stage framework—data collection, scope identification, mechanism analysis, and strategy development—and integrates interdisciplinary methods, including unstructured data processing, architectural historical analysis, anthropological fieldwork, and historical-geographical reconstruction. It aims to define the dynamic boundaries of fringe spaces, uncover their evolutionary mechanisms, and identify their driving forces. The findings reveal that while monastery–city fringe zones are institutionally marginalized and often ambiguously governed, they retain rich layers of social interaction and cultural sediment, making them highly valuable for reconstructing urban identity and reestablishing cultural linkages. Based on this, the research proposes strategies centered on inclusive spatial design, multifunctional cultural programming, public participation, and co-governance models—transforming monastery fringe spaces into critical platforms for cultural expression and collaborative urban life. This research responds to the Congress’s core themes of culture, identity, and inclusive urban transformation, offering both theoretical support and practical guidance for the heritage-led renewal of diverse and inclusive urban environments.

Since the 21st century, evaluation of World Heritage has shifted from individual structures toward holistic cultural landscapes. This approach focuses on the synergy between Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) and Historic Urban Landscape (HUL). OUV mandates that heritage sites fulfill criteria such as representing 'human creative masterpieces', serving as 'unique civilization witnesses', or exemplifying 'exceptional human-environment interactions.' Concurrently, HUL conceptualizes historic urban areas as living entities and focusing on how to achieve symbiosis between heritage and contemporary life. This integrated framework offers a promising alternative for regions navigating rapid urbanization while confronting challenges like intensive development, spatial expansion, and industrial transformation. This paper takes Suzhou, China, focusing on the practical path of inclusive urban transformation through cultural activation. Suzhou, a historic cradle of Jiangnan culture within China's economically vibrant Yangtze River Delta, faces a preservation-development dilemma in its old urban areas. Despite economic strength and policy support, these areas contend with spatial fragmentation, marginalization of cultural identity, and weakened ecological resilience. Intensive land development has led to an "urban bonsai" effect—high-rise structures fragmenting the historical texture and displacing traditional residential layouts, disrupting the organic symbiosis between residents, water networks, and the urban fabric. Moving beyond static preservation, Suzhou leverages its living Wu-Yue cultural heritage to drive inclusive urban transformation. This paper systematically examines Suzhou's practical pathways through detailed case studies of three representative cultural activation initiatives: Pingjiang District, Shantang Street, and Panru Lane. Using a framework analyzing community empowerment, cultural space redesign, and lifestyle innovation strategies, the study elucidates the specific methodologies employed. The findings reveal a shift towards micro-renewal and refined ("embroidered") governance, emphasizing community agency and cultural continuity. Key successful strategies include spatially authentic restoration, sensitive cultural-creative implantation, and mechanisms ensuring original resident participation. These approaches effectively revitalize historical textures while integrating contemporary functions. Through community empowerment, cultural space redesign and contemporary lifestyle expression, Suzhou has explored a dynamic and harmonious urban renewal path between tradition and modernity. The research aims to reveal urban renewal mechanism centered on cultural identity, reconstruction and provide theoretical inspiration and practical paradigms for resolving the contradiction between protection and development in global. In contemporary urban planning and policy-making, cultural inheritance and identity formation have become pivotal issues for advancing inclusive development, the challenge lies in balancing respect for historical context with responses to contemporary living need, which is a test about cultural sensitivity and institutional adaptability to planners. Cities are not merely assemblages of physical structures, but crucibles of lived experience, value systems and cultural practices. Adopting micro-renewal as its approach, Suzhou implements precision incremental interventions to activate endogenous cultural vitality within communities and repair resident-space bonds. At the policy level, the focus has shifted from object-centric to people-oriented frameworks, emphasizing the dynamic interplay among 'people-space-culture' and empowering local residents to co-create the reinvention of cultural spaces and value codification. The research conclusion indicates that Suzhou experience transcends traditional binary opposition of conversation and development, and constructs a new urban transformation model driven by cultural activation for inclusive growth. The core lies in restoring the emotional connection between people and places through refined and progressive spatial governance, stimulating cultural vitality of community, and responding to contemporary needs on the basis of respecting historical context. This practical path not only provides a Chinese solution for the sustainable development of historical and cultural cities, but also offers a referenceable governance paradigm for global cities in the issues of cultural diversity and social inclusiveness.

In the global urbanization process, traditional settlements are increasingly threatened by the erosion of local cultures, depopulation, and spatial disintegration. Like urban spaces, traditional settlements serve as important sites for human activity and daily life. They preserve collective memory and regional culture, playing a critical role in shaping cultural identities. Although their value has been widely acknowledged and systematic conservation strategies have been proposed, practical conservation efforts remain constrained by fragmented geographic distribution and insufficient data resources. Due to the diverse spatial forms and complex cultural connotations of settlements, traditional case-based analysis methods are often unable to reveal their unique spatial characteristics. This limitation results in the homogenization of protection strategies, leading to weakening of multicultural expression. In response, there is an urgent need to explore data-driven approaches to support the morphological analysis of traditional settlements in order to promote a balance between spatial renewal and cultural continuity. To address these challenges, the study proposes to develop a digital platform for managing data resources and providing analytical tools. Its objectives include strengthening the heritage protection system, enabling comparative analysis across regions, and facilitating scientific decision-making in settlement protection. This study was based on 8,155 Chinese traditional villages，one of the largest rural heritage conservation projects in the world. Basic dataset, including satellite imagery, geographic information, and economic statistics, were obtained from publicly available online sources. First, through image segmentation, data extraction, and computational calculation, multidimensional metric data were calculated for each village. Second, a knowledge graph was constructed using the Neo4j graph database to store each village’s data and to represent morphological associations among them. On this basis, the functional and interface layers were developed using the Flask framework, which enables efficient access to the database information and provide interactive tools for information retrieval, relational inference, case filtering, and data visualization. Qiqin Village was used as an example to demonstrate the supporting role of the platform in conservation practices. Through this platform，we were able to identify the morphological characteristics of the village, discover clusters of villages with similar morphology, and retrieve reference cases for spatial transformation. Based on these insights, renewal strategies were proposed, including spatial integration and boundary optimization. In practical application, the knowledge graph database showed strong capabilities in managing villages system. It recorded both individual village attributes and group-level morphological associations, thereby enabling large-scale spatial analysis. Meanwhile, the platform interface played a critical auxiliary role by integrating multi-source information into a unified display. This integration helped overcome fragmented analytical workflows and facilitated a more efficient decision-making process. Overall, this study develops a digital platform that integrates data management with interactive applications to support decision-making. On one hand, the knowledge graph dataset offers a scalable solution for documenting rural heritage, facilitating the systematic accumulation of data resources. On the other hand, the functional modules promote the integration of data, analysis, and decision-making, helping designers overcome experiential limitations and optimize design strategies. Furthermore, this work provides a new perspective on the systematic conservation of global cultural heritage. It not only contributes to the preservation of cultural identity but also facilitates the dissemination of adaptive innovations, playing a vital role in fostering diverse and sustainable human settlements.

Abstract Background Under the dual influence of population aging and "youth-friendly city" strategies, the coexistence of multiple non-kin generations is becoming increasingly common in China's Historical Urban Areas (HUA). The demographic shift makes intergenerational integration a core requirement for maintaining community vitality. However, current conservation of historical and cultural resources has fallen into the predicament of isolation and fragmentation: the protection of tangible heritages (such as historical buildings) is disconnected from intangible elements (such as folk crafts and toponymic culture), preventing the formation of a systematic connection among cultural resources. This directly leads to the disruption of cultural identity inheritance across generations in historical urban areas (young people struggle to establish deep cultural connections through fragmented carriers) and exacerbates identity differentiation (the elderly uphold their "traditional resident" identities, while young people find it difficult to integrate into the "new citizen" identity due to the fragmented nature of resources), severely impeding the progress of inclusive urban transformation. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore the synergistic logic of identifying historical and cultural resources to link cultural identity, identity recognition, and inclusive transformation, in order to solve the development challenges of historical urban areas. Research Objectives This study aims to build a theoretical framework for intergenerational integration driven by historical and cultural resource identification, analyzing its role in cultural identity inheritance, social identity integration, and urban transformation, to offer practical renewal paths for historical urban areas. Core Issues: How can the systematic identification of carriers of historical and cultural resources promote intergenerational integration to activate the vitality of historical urban areas? Specifically, it focuses on three aspects: ① Under the current situation of "isolation and fragmentation" of cultural resources in historical urban areas, explore the formation logic of spatial preferences and behavioral differences among intergenerational groups, and clarify the crucial role of resource identification in bridging the gaps in intergenerational cultural and social identity; ② Examine the synergistic relationship between the identification of historical and cultural resources, intergenerational integration, and the enhancement of community vitality, and explore how resource integration can strengthen cultural identity consensus and promote inclusive social identity; ③ Based on the identification of resources and the behavioral mechanisms of different generations, formulate renewal strategies, and elucidate the practical paths through which systematic resource identification can advance cultural inheritance, social identity integration, and inclusive transformation. Methods Taking Nanjing’s historical urban area as a case, we adopt a “resource - culture - identity - behavior” framework. GIS and semantic segmentation identify cultural resources, while SP surveys collect intergenerational data on resource perception and identity. SEM and MNL analyze the impact of resource identification on intergenerational perception and behavior, and dynamic simulations verify renewal strategies. Key Findings Fragmentation divides generations: Isolated resource conservation causes “activity avoidance, spatio - temporal separation, and attitudinal alienation”. It weakens young people’s cultural connection and intensifies identity conflicts. Systematic identification promotes integration: Building a “point - line - plane” resource network via GIS enhances cultural continuity perception. Integrated spaces boost intergenerational interaction and identity integration. Resource identification drives transformation: Spatial optimization and identity - building activities based on resource identification cultivate long - term co - construction mechanisms, revitalizing communities. Significance The study innovatively links resource identification, cultural identity, and urban transformation, offering a theoretical framework. Practically, it proposes a three - dimensional strategy for historical urban areas, contributing to inclusive urban development and providing a Chinese solution for global historical urban renewal.

Under the context of the current urban development model transitioning toward stock-based development, old urban area heritage conservation and activation face higher demands. Current efforts in old urban area heritage conservation and presentation are primarily focused on high-level, well-known cultural heritage protection unit, or on historic district and historical feature area where heritage resources are concentrated and large-scale. In contrast, research and activation practices regarding scattered heritage resources remain relatively underdeveloped. Scattered heritage resources within old urban area face challenges such as delayed research, isolated revitalization, and a disrupted cultural network, due to their low protection status, limited visibility, and fragmented distribution. These issues collectively result in insufficient exploration of the “holistic” value of historic towns and hinder a comprehensive representation of the cultural network. Taking Chongqing as a case study, the Yuzhong Peninsula old urban area represents the most concentrated area of historical and cultural resources in Chongqing. It is characterized by multiple historical layers of cultural stratification and diverse types of heritage elements, forming a unique Historic urban landscape. Meanwhile, numerous scattered heritage resources with relatively lower protection levels and less visibility exist throughout the old city of Chongqing, including historic buildings, intangible cultural heritage sites, and potential cultural route, all of which constitute essential components of the historic landscape of old Chongqing. However, under traditional protection approaches centered on “zoning, site designation, material-focused”, issues such as a fragmented historic landscape, an interrupted cultural network, and the erosion and fragmentation of historical and cultural elements have increasingly emerged. To address this challenge, this study is based on the theory and methodology of Historic urban landscape, conducting investigation and revitalization research on scattered heritage resources in the Yuzhong Peninsula old urban area of Chongqing. The objective is to tackle the core issue of insufficient systematic conservation of scattered heritage resources through historical spatial pattern identification, extraction of cultural typology, and formulation of revitalization strategy. The study initially utilized GIS technology and historical maps to carry out stratigraphic analysis and mapping of the historical spatial pattern from representative periods such as the Ming and Qing dynasties and the Republic of China era, identifying spatial correlation by situating scattered heritage within its corresponding historical context. Based on the list of cultural relics protection units and historic buildings established in the Conservation Planning for Chongqing Historical and Cultural City, combined with the historical spatial pattern characteristics of scattered heritage resources, this research extracted the cultural typology of scattered heritage, conducted field surveys on representative heritage sites categorized by type, and summarized their features and existing issues. Finally, cultural route theory was introduced; targeting specific cultural typology, key scattered heritage resources within the study area were connected into thematic cultural route to achieve their comprehensive revitalization. Systematically grounded in the “stratification” and “connectivity” perspectives of the Historic urban landscape theory, this study revealed the evolution of the spatial pattern and the characteristics of the cultural typology of scattered heritage sites on the Yuzhong Peninsula. Furthermore, a revitalization methodology framework of “pattern identification–typology sorting–route connection–scenario creation” was proposed. This framework not only provides a concrete strategy for the heritage revitalization of scattered heritage on the Yuzhong Peninsula in Chongqing, promoting the holistic realization of its historical and cultural value, but also offers replicable theoretical and practical references for heritage conservation in high-density, multi-cultural stratification mountainous old city areas and similar historic cities nationwide, contributing to the continuity of historical context continuity and the enhancement of urban quality within urban renewal processes.

The major earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28, 2025, caused severe damage to the historical and cultural heartland in the central region of the country (Upper Myanmar). Amidst the dual pressures of natural disaster and political instability, Myanmar faces a critical moment in the reshaping and strengthening of its national cultural identity. This region encompasses a heritage cluster of historical capitals—including Sagaing, Inwa, Amarapura and Mandalay—that encapsulate the political and cultural evolution of Myanmar from the 14th to the 19th centuries and bear witness to the historical construction of cultural identity in this multiethnic nation. Deepening fundamental research on this capital area’s historical culture and spatial carriers, and understanding the role of capital planning and construction in identity shaping, will provide essential historical references and theoretical support for post-disaster reconstruction and heritage conservation. This study focuses on how historical capitals helped sustain national identity through their physical and symbolic spatial structures. It traces the evolution of Upper Myanmar’s historical capitals, and analyzes their site selection, spatial layout and form characteristics. Based on this, the study combines spatial diagramming and textual analysis to explore the political order and cultural symbolism that lie behind elements such as the city wall system, ritual axes, and Buddhist buildings. The study reveals that the spatial form of the historical royal capitals in Upper Myanmar not only reflects a highly organized royal order, Buddhist orthodox narratives, and the governance concept of integrating royal authority and Buddhism, but also, through multiple relocations and spatial reconstructions, has developed a stable symbolic framework and an enduring spatial domain of cultural identity. These heritage spaces possess the symbolic integration function that transcends ethnic groups and eras, and continue to hold potential for reaffirming cultural consensus and strengthening identity recognition. The study further considers how this capital area continues to function as a space for the reproduction of identity in the present day. It proposes that the protection and adaptive reuse of capital heritage should go beyond material restoration and focus more on their contemporary re-articulation as "public spaces of shared identity". Future planning should place emphasis on the integration of cultural dimensions, and activate their identity-building potential through spatial design, public participation and cultural narrative strategies. This paper contributes historical insights for post-disaster recovery and cultural revitalization in Myanmar, and offers spatial strategies for cultural governance in multiethnic societies.