Research on Operational Mechanism of Participatory Protection Practice in Historic and Cultural Areas:A Case Study Based on a Historic Urban Landscape Perspective
ZHANG Ruoxi
WU Quhang
ZHANG Jinxin
WEI Huageng
Abstract：Studying the operational mechanism and constructing a universal method framework for participatory protection practices in historic and cultural areas is significant.The Historic Urban Landscape(HUL)method emphasizes"multi-participation and consensus building"as the core of protection action,providing both epistemological and methodological enlightenment for research.First,three fundamental elements of protection practice of historic and cultural areas were extracted by analyzing the ideological implications and method framework of HUL:stakeholder,target,and process.Further,a definition of participatory protection practice in historic and cultural areas was proposed.In this process,multiple stakeholders with diverse demands establish the targets of protection practice and then engage at various stages of protection action,trying to establish consensus,promote actions,and collaboratively create new HULs through continuous conflicts and coordination.Second,the study further explored the factors that influence the effectiveness of protection practice based on the multi-participation characteristics of protection practice.Reviewing existing research on influencing factors of public participation effectiveness revealed how stakeholders,targets,and processes influence the effectiveness of participatory protection practices through stakeholder and organization maturity.The research posits that stakeholder maturity is an endogenous influencing factor,including participation willingness and ability of stakeholders.It directly affects stakeholder composition,partnership dynamics,target setting,direction control,action process,and conflict resolution during protection practices.Organization maturity is an exogenous influencing factor,including target setting,process design,and mechanism guarantees of protection practices.It can guide,regulate,and constrain the behaviors of stakeholders,thereby influencing the effectiveness of protection practices.Finally,a method framework for participatory protection practices in historic and cultural areas was built,encompassing stakeholder maturity evaluation,participatory process design,supporting mechanism guarantee,and plan formulation and implementation.This framework was applied to the protective renewal design of Gaopu Historic District in Xiamen to provide a theoretical basis and action suggestions for effective multi-stakeholder participatory protection practices.During the empirical study,80 residents,15 merchants,and 21 tourists were interviewed about their willingness and ability to engage in various fields and stages of the protection and development of the Gaopu Historic District.Based on the assessment results of stakeholder maturity,the primary methods of participation include publicity,guidance,interviews,and surveys,with the public being granted a certain degree of leadership in specific fields and stages.Additionally,the research proposed policy mechanisms and technical support for participation.On this basis,the planning outcomes were achieved through surveys and analyses,formulation of development visions,planning strategies,action plans,and implementation of projects.The research explores the relationship between stakeholders and processes in participatory protection practice.Although a process design and mechanism guarantee framework based on evaluating stakeholder maturity has been proposed,further work is still needed in the practice process.First,a systematic method should be established to evaluate stakeholder maturity because surveys on attention and familiarity are relatively simple.Second,protecting historic and cultural areas involves the goals of multiple fields,such as heritage protection,residential improvement,and business and tourism development.It requires multi-participation throughout the overall process.Refined policy and methodology support are the most important means of guiding,regulating,and constraining stakeholder behaviors.The research only strategically proposed some policy and methodology requirements during the empirical exploration in Gaopu Historic District.Monographic study and practical examination are still needed.
Keywords：historic and cultural areasparticipatory protectionHistoric Urban Landscapeoperational mechanismmulti-participation
Publication Date：2025-03-31
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：9( 41-49 )