DESIGN INTERVENTIONS AND HERITAGE REVITALIZATION IN HISTORIC URBAN PARKS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SUZHOU DONGYUAN PARK AND SHANGHAI PEACE PARK
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v24i43.2091Keywords:
Historic Urban Parks, Design Intervention, Heritage Revitalization, Suzhou Dongyuan Park, Shanghai Peace ParkAbstract
In the process of urban renewal in China, the redevelopment of historic urban parks concerns not only the enhancement of public space quality but also the preservation and regeneration of historical and cultural heritage. However, existing studies have primarily focused on the post-renewal spatial form and landscape effects, with limited exploration of how design interventions specifically influence the processes and outcomes of heritage revitalization. This paper takes Suzhou Dongyuan Park and Shanghai Peace Park, two representative historic urban parks in the Yangtze River Delta region, as case studies. Through field observation, document analysis, and comparative research, it examines the mechanisms by which different design intervention approaches affect the revitalization of heritage values. The findings show that Dongyuan Park’s renewal, centred on cultural continuity, strengthens local identity and historical perception by restoring garden patterns and extending traditional spatial imagery. In contrast, Peace Park’s renovation, guided by functional activation, enhances public accessibility and vitality through boundary openness and facility reorganization, but to some extent weakens historical narratives and cultural memory. These two approaches represent distinct renewal models: context oriented and function-oriented design interventions. The study argues that the landscape design process serves as a key mediating mechanism in heritage revitalization, balancing the tension between historicity and contemporaneity. The research provides process-based insights and practical references for the future design and management of historic urban parks.
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