Understanding vitality through spatial neighborhoods: a multi-scale morphological analysis of a historic town

In recent decades, many historical-cultural towns (HCTs) have experienced a spike in tourism vitality. While this vitality is beneficial to local businesses, it may challenge the conservation of their historical architecture. This research explores, at a fine scale, how urban morphology impacts the distribution of vitality in an HCT. Using Shaxi Ancient Town, China, as a case study, the research collects multi-source data, applies deep learning-based image feature extractions, and conducts statistical analyses to model this relationship. By considering the concept of a spatial neighborhood and the mutually cumulative effects of tourism vitality, the study quantifies three levels of morphological characteristics: buildings, streets, and tessellations. Our study confirms that several morphological indicators are significantly associated with tourism vitality, though their effects vary across different spatial scales. The results provide insights for planners and policymakers to promote sustainable tourism in similar HCTs through a data-driven understanding of development and conservation.