Evaluation and enhancement of historic district regeneration effectiveness in the context of cultural-tourism integration: A case study of three historic districts in Kaifeng

Historic district serves as dynamic urban heritage sites, whose conservation and regeneration are essential for preserving the historic context of cities, stimulating economic revitalization, and fostering high-quality development. Originating from the backdrop of cultural-tourism integration, this study establishes a comprehensive framework for assessing the effectiveness of historic district regeneration. This framework includes the regeneration of physical spaces, cultural preservation and display, and the revitalization of cultural tourism. Utilizing the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation methods, the study evaluates the regeneration effectiveness in three emblematic historic districts in Kaifeng city based on subjective assessments from participants. Enhancement pathways are delineated through the analysis of a "satisfaction-importance" matrix. The findings indicate consistently positive regeneration effectiveness with slight variations across the districts, scoring 3.801 for Shuanglong lane, 3.794 for Madao street, and 3.759 for Shudian street. Shuanglong lane exhibits superior performance in physical space regeneration, with a higher score than Shudian and Madao streets; however, Shudian and Madao streets excel in the revitalization of cultural tourism. Differences in cultural preservation and display are minimal. At the level of specific indicators, all districts generally receive positive evaluations for streetscape and revitalization recognition. Nonetheless, Shudian street and Madao street exhibit lower scores in streetscape aesthetics, infrastructure, and street maintenance, whereas Shuanglong lane requires improvements in its cultural and tourism attributes, diversity of revitalization efforts, and infrastructure. All districts need enhanced accessibility. Specific improvements include enhancing the neighborhood environment, cultural displays, and connotations in Shudian street; boosting cultural attractiveness and immersive interactions in Madao street; and increasing cultural appeal and diversifying the business model in Shuanglong lane.