Research on Protection and Renewal Strategies for Residential Historical and Cultural Districts from a Multidimensional Synergistic Perspective: A Case Study of the North Street Area in Pingwang Town, Suzhou

¹ College of Architecture, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
² Yuanke Ecological Construction Group Co., Ltd. Suzhou, China

^* Corresponding author: szykwuji@163.com

Abstract

As the core carriers for the continuation of “liveliness”, residential historical and cultural districts face critical challenges in terms of community cohesion, spatial vitality, and cultural inheritance. From a multidimensional synergistic perspective, this study deconstructs the social, environmental, and cultural dimensions of such districts. It proposes a protection-and-renewal framework of “collaborative social governance—optimized spatial environment—revitalized cultural memory”. Taking the North Street area in Pingwang Town, Suzhou, as an example, we develop targeted strategies in three dimensions: socially, by establishing multi-stakeholder co-governance and property rights coordination mechanisms; environmentally, by repairing street-block morphology, supplementing public spaces, and reshaping district character; and culturally, by perpetuating folk traditions and crafting differentiated cultural-tourism carriers. Our findings indicate that a multidimensional synergistic approach can reconcile conservation with development, reinforce community cohesion, and—through spatial enhancements and cultural activation—inject contemporary vitality, thus ensuring the ongoing “liveliness” of residential historical and cultural districts.