Evaluating Landscape Gene Perception in Traditional Villages for Sustainable Development: A Methodological Framework Integrating Game Theory and the Cloud Model

The acceleration of global urbanization has caused severe damage to, and even the disappearance of, traditional villages, significantly reducing the diversity of cultural landscapes. To effectively preserve and transmit the cultural landscape characteristics of traditional villages, this study adopts the “landscape gene” theory and proposes a traditional village landscape gene perception evaluation method combining game theory-based weight assignment and the cloud model. Using Huangtutang Village in Wuxi, China, as a case study, the study follows the framework and paradigm of “identification-translation-perception evaluation-preservation inheritance” to identify, translate, map, and comprehensively evaluate its landscape genes. Finally, targeted strategies for the preservation and development of Huangtutang Village are proposed based on the evaluation results. The results indicate that residents and tourists generally perceive the landscape genes of Huangtutang Village as “Satisfied,” with perception levels ranking from high to low as follows: environmental pattern, cultural characteristics, architectural character, and spatial layout characteristics. Perceptions of traffic location, street texture, building form, roof form, facade features, folk tales, and historical and cultural context were relatively low, showing lower “expectation values.” The findings provide valuable references for the preservation and development of Huangtutang Village and other traditional villages. The proposed traditional village landscape gene perception evaluation model advances the development of landscape gene theory, effectively supplements existing methods for traditional village preservation and sustainable development, and demonstrates broad applicability.