Industrial Heritage in China: Spatial Patterns, Driving Mechanisms, and Implications for Sustainable Reuse

This study investigates the spatial patterns and driving mechanisms of China’s industrial heritage using nationwide provincial-level geospatial data. It combines multiple spatial analysis techniques to identify distribution characteristics and applies a multi-model framework integrating Multi-Scale Geographically Weighted Regression and machine learning to assess the impacts of demographic, economic, climatic, and topographic factors. Results reveal a pronounced clustered pattern and marked spatial differentiation, with core concentrations in the southeastern coastal and central regions. Industrial layouts across historical periods show a shift from coastal to inland areas, reflecting security-oriented spatial strategies. Economic development has a significant positive influence, whereas temperature and the number of industrial enterprises exert negative effects. Natural environmental conditions—such as slope, vegetation coverage, and water systems—serve as both spatial supports and constraints. At the macro level, the spatial configuration of industrial heritage emerges from the structured interplay of historical path dependence, national strategic regulation, and geographic environmental constraints, rather than short-term interactions among isolated variables. The study elucidates the evolutionary logic of industrial civilization and highlights the synergistic mechanisms linking economic, social, and environmental dimensions. It concludes by advocating a hierarchical and multi-factor balanced framework for spatial governance.