Investigating the potential historic conservation area in China: a case study on 11 old colonial cities

Abstract

The designation of historic conservation areas (DHCAs) from the cities classified as “National Famous Historical and Cultural City” (NFHC-city) is the key tool for maintaining large-scale historic environments, wherein the boundaries are blurred because of redevelopment. Therefore, exploring potential historic conservation area is fundamentally important. In this study, we examined historic urban areas in 11 old colonial cities (concessions and leased territories) to determine the potential historic conservation areas (P-HCAs). Our results suggest that P-HCAs are characterized by relatively small size, minimal residential use, and irregular morphological boundaries, except in some non-NFHC-cities, where P-HCAs are located adjacent to officially protected public and commercial buildings. The DHCA boundaries and extent of urban development influence the storage of P-HCA. The approach and method proposed in this study not only provide reference for the conservation and replenishment of the historic districts in China, but are also applicable for other countries.

Keywords

• concession
• urban morphology
• heritage conservation
• historic district
• heritage management