Rethinking Urban Spatial Transformation through the Evolution of Cartographic Design in Modern Guangzhou

SHI Su; RAO Xiaojun; XIA Heng

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1000-0232.2025.09.001

Abstract：This study constructed an analytical framework for analyzing the evolution of cartographic design in modern Guangzhou from the perspective of archaeological knowledge analysis.The framework comprises urban maps(technology),knowledge production(cognition),social practices(institutions),and spatial transformation(outcomes).It serves to explore how maps,as tools of spatial knowledge,promote the modernization of urban governance and spatial practices.The study focused on the"heterogeneity and discontinuity"of urban map designs for Guangzhou from the Qing dynasty to the Republic of China.Against the social,political,and economic backdrop,the evolution of Guangzhou's city maps is divided into three phases:the Scenic Map Period(pre-1855),the Scientific Cartography Transition Period(1855～1918),and the Planning Cartography Period(1918～1949).This study compared the cartographic techniques,content,and symbolic systems of the Map of Guangzhou Province(1822),the Map of Guangzhou City(1910～1912),and the Latest Map of Guangzhou Roads(1937)to analyze the evolution of spatial structure,functional layout,symbolic representation,and spatial cognition in different phases.Thus,it explored the development of urban governance concepts.A case study based on the renovation of Fu Xue East Street further illustrates the role of scientific maps in spatial governance. The findings are as follows: (1)Scenic Map Period:Guangzhou's city maps predominantly featured traditional landscape imagery that represented the city,mountains,waters,and power structures symbolically and without precise field measurements.Urban development during this period was largely driven by private individuals.The government,lacking systematic planning capabilities,offered only limited"remediation",relying on neighborhood autonomy.This formed a spatial pattern of"strong citizens,weak government". (2)Scientific Cartography Transition Period:Influenced by Western surveying techniques,maps began to depict urban space more precisely.The Map of the City and Entire Suburbs of Canton(1855)showed realistic spatial proportions for the first time.During the reign of Emperor Guangxu,the government established mapping agencies,such as the Liangguang Provincial Military Training Office,to replace traditional literati artists with professional surveyors.This marked the beginning of professional cartography.The government also generated spatial knowledge based on maps and improved its governance capabilities.Accordingly,maps gradually became tools for urban spatial intervention. (3)Planning Cartography Period:Maps,in transitioning from recording reality to planning the future,began to play a pivotal role in urban governance.For example,the Latest Map of Guangzhou Roads(1937)illustrated the planning intentions of administrative divisions,road networks,and public facilities,highlighting the spatial reshaping under the game of government and society.Scientific cartography endowed maps with"objectivity"and authority,providing legitimacy for government planning.The renovation of Fuxue East Street reveals how the government leveraged maps to manipulate spatial information,negotiate with local elites,and forcibly demolish cultural buildings.This facilitated road construction and reflected the transformation from a ritual-centric spatial order to modern governance guided by scientific rationality and efficiency. In short,the evolution of Guangzhou's cartographic design reflects technological progress,shifts in spatial cognition,and the modernization of governance.Scientific cartography laid the technical foundation for urban modernization.It enabled the government to use its control over map production and distribution to incorporate modern urban concepts into spatial interventions,reshaping the structure of spatial power.The proposed"nonlinear layering"framework highlights the complexity of urban space.It avoids linear developmental narratives and reveals the intricate interactions of technology,knowledge,institutions,and space.Scientific cartography and urban modernization promote each other rather than being a unidirectional causal relationship:technology supports modernization,while planning needs facilitate cartographic innovation.