Abstract
Over recent decades, historical areas conservation has become an important strategy to improve urban competitiveness in the global economy. As shown in existing studies that the conservation of historical areas mainly focused on the physical environment, there is still room for the non-physical study, and researches on the social network conservation in mountainous historical areas are particularly insufficient. Therefore, this paper aims to establish an evaluation system which is helpful for the social network conservation of historical areas. The evaluation system is based on social network analysis and the information of social relationships gathered in field surveys using a specifically designed questionnaire method in four mountainous towns in Chongqing, China. And it was analyzed from three perspectives, i.e., by the basic statistical properties, condensate subgroup, and centrality. Then five analysis indicators were conceived, including density, lambda set, k-core, degree centrality, and betweenness centrality. The analysis results demonstrate that the social networks of the four towns show different indicators, which are respectively relevant to completeness degree, edge-relatedness level, local stability, structural balance, and concentrated trend of social relationships. Results from SNA modeling indicate that neighborhood residents of historical areas who have more stable and healthier social relationships are relatively not easily be destroyed. The results also illustrate that the social networks structure is influenced by the terrain, form, and function of historical areas, and the change of historical areas is caused by “individual-family-society”. Finally, the strategies guiding the social network conservation are put forward from two aspects. These findings suggest that the conservation and management of social network and aborigines in historical areas should be emphasized to increase the collective benefits and vitality.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Al-hagla KS (2010) Sustainable urban development in historical areas using the tourist trail approach: A case study of the Cultural Heritage and Urban Development (CHUD) project in Saida, Lebanon. Cities 27(4): 234–248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2010.02.001
Bagaeen SG (2006) Housing conditions in the old city of Jerusalem: an empirical study. Habitat International 30(1): 87–106.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2004.06.005
Bull AC, Jones B (2006) Governance and social capital in urban regeneration: A comparison between Bristol and Naples. Urban Studies 43(4): 767–786. https://doi.org/10.1080/00420980600597558
Carmon N (1999) Three generations of urban renewal policies: analysis and policy implications. Geoforum 30(2): 145–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0016-7185(99)00012-3
Crook ADH, Moroney M (1995) Housing associations, private finance and risk avoidance: The impact on urban renewal and inner cities. Environment and Planning A 27(11): 1695–1712. https://doi.org/10.1068/a271695
Demongeot J, Taramasco C (2014) Evolution of social networks: the example of obesity. Biogerontology 15(6): 611–626. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10522-014-9542-z
Du HF, Feldman MW, Li SZ, et al. (2007) An algorithm for detecting community structure of social networks based on prior knowledge and modularity. Complexity 12(3): 53–60. https://doi.org/10.1002/cplx.20166
Enqvist J, Enqvist JT, Bodin MO (2014) Citizen networks in the Garden City: Protecting urban ecosystems in rapid urbanization. Landscape and Urban Planning 130: 24–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2014.06.007
Ferretti V, Bottero M, Mondini G (2014) Decision making and cultural heritage: An application of the Multi-Attribute Value Theory for the reuse of historical buildings. Journal of Cultural Heritage 15(6): 644–655. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2013.12.007
Gale DE (1991) The impacts of historic district designation - planning and policy implications. Journal of the American Planning Association 57(3): 325–340. https://doi.org/10.1080/01944369108975503
Ghose R, Pettygrove M (2014) Actors and networks in urban community garden development. Geoforum 53: 93–103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2014.02.009
Gilbert P (2009) Social stakes of urban renewal: recent French housing policy. Building Research and Information 37(5–6): 638–648. https://doi.org/10.1080/09613210903186638
Gu YY, Huang X (2017) The spatial representation of social structure in the clan-based village: an interpretation of the traditional settlements in Chao Shan District. Urban Planning forum (03):103–109. https://doi.org/10.16361/j.upf.201703012
Huang Y, Shi YL (2018) Evaluation and Protection of Social Networks in Historical Towns in Southwestern China, urban planning forum (03):40–49. https://doi.org/10.16361/j.upf.201803004
Huang Y, Shi YL (2017) The Relationship Between Social Ethnic and Material Space in BAYU Ancient Town: Take AJ, FS and SJ town as examples. Architectural journal (S2):24–29
Jones GA, RDF Bromley (1996). The relationship between urban conservation programmes and property renovation: Evidence from Quito, Ecuador. Cities 13(6): 373–385. https://doi.org/10.1016/0264-2751(96)00025-X
Kovacs Z, Wiessner R, Zischner R (2013). Urban Renewal in the Inner City of Budapest: Gentrification from a Post-socialist Perspective. Urban Studies 50(1): 22–38. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042098012453856
Lee LM, Lim YM, Nor’Aini Y (2008) Strategies for urban conservation: A case example of George Town, Penang. Habitat International 32(3): 293–304. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2007.09.001
Lee SL(1996) Urban conservation policy and the preservation of historical and cultural heritage - The case of Singapore. Cities13(6): 399–409. https://doi.org/10.1016/0264-2751(96)00027-3
Liu J (2014) lectures on whole network approach: a practical guide to ucinet. Gezhi Press, China. pp129–131.
Newman MEJ, M Girvan(2004). Finding and evaluating community structure in networks. Physical Review E 69(2). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.69.026113
Nyseth T, Sognnaes J (2013) Preservation of old towns in Norway: Heritage discourses, community processes and the new cultural economy. Cities31: 69–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2012.05.014
Peng C, Ming T, Gui J (2015) Numerical analysis on the thermal environment of an old city district during urban renewal. Energy and Buildings 89: 18–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2014.12.023
Sasaki M (2010) Urban regeneration through cultural creativity and social inclusion: Rethinking creative city theory through a Japanese case study. Cities 27: S3–S9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2010.03.002
Shin HB (2010) Urban conservation and revalorisation of dilapidated historic quarters: The case of Nanluoguxiang in Beijing. Cities 27: S43–S54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2010.03.006
Sirisrisak T(2009). Conservation of Bangkok old town. Habitat International33(4): 405–411. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2008.12.002
Susnik A, Ganesan S (1997) Urban renewal and displacement in Hong Kong. Urban Geography18(4): 324–346. https://doi.org/10.2747/0272-3638.18.4.324
Tweed C, Sutherland M (2007)Built cultural heritage and sustainable urban development. Landscape and Urban Planning 83(1): 62–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2007.05.008
Whitehand JWR, Gu K, Whitehand SM, et al. (2011) Urban morphology and conservation in China. Cities 28(2): 171–185.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2010.12.001
Yang YR, Chang CH (2007) An urban regeneration regime in China: A case study of urban redevelopment in Shanghai’s Taipingqiao area. Urban Studies 44(9): 1809–1826. https://doi.org/10.1080/00420980701507787
Yang GQ, Dai TX, Wang Z, et al. (2016) Reflections on the Renewal of Historical and Cultural Villages from the Perspective of Social Change. Urban Planning Forum 03:45–54. https://doi.org/10.16361/j.upf.201603005
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (2018YFD1100804). The authors would like to thank all the participants who were involved in the field work. We also wish to thank Dr. SONG Jie and PhD student LI Heng for their assistance during the preparation of this manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Shi, Yl., Huang, Y., Hu, Dy. et al. Evaluation of social network conservation in historical areas of mountainous towns in Chongqing, China. J. Mt. Sci. 17, 1763–1775 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-018-5360-0
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-018-5360-0