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Abstract The spatial form of historic blocks comprises multi-scale elements, and its evolutionary process is the result of residents' long-term adaptation to and coexistence with the external environment. This micro-level, dynamic, and complex system requires an interpretation grounded in theoretical frameworks that align more closely with real-world logic. This paper integrates Conzenian urban morphology, the adaptive cycle theory of social-ecological systems, and the complex adaptive system theory to develop a research framework for analyzing the morphological evolutionary characteristics, mechanisms, and pathways of historic blocks from a complex adaptive perspective. Taking the Hui-Fang area in Xi'an, a historic block, as an example, the paper employs quantitative methods, such as fractal dimension analysis and space syntax, to uncover both the complex external manifestations of the morphological system and the underlying adaptive cycle mechanisms of the agent system. Furthermore, it identifies three distinct adaptive evolutionary pathways of spatial form: unidirectional control, bidirectional guidance, and multi-level symbiosis. This research expands epistemological understandings of morphological evolution and provides theoretical support for the development of urban spaces in historic blocks that reflect regional cultural significance.
Keywords adaptive cycle; spatial form; complexity; historic blocks
A historic block is a specific area within a city that holds historical significance and contains living functions. Unlike other areas, it typically follows a development pattern shaped by a combination of government guidance, resident self-organization, and gradual renewal. Its morphological evolution primarily arises from collective adaptive behavioral rules that develop over time as residents adapt to and coexist with the external environment. These behavioral rules frequently influence micro-level architectural transformations, becoming the central force driving morphological changes. Therefore, a theoretical framework that better aligns with the dynamic morphological value of historic blocks is needed to fully interpret their evolutionary processes.
Current urban morphological inquiries have progressed along distinct trajectories, molded by varied disciplinary traditions and motivated by heterogeneous research agendas. Nonetheless, different schools of thought share conceptual and analytical similarities. At the epistemological level, both the German-British historical geography school, represented by Conzen, and the Italian historical architecture school, represented by Muratori, regard urban morphology as a discipline concerned with the study of urban structure, open space layout, and spatial composition, or the tangible outcome of ongoing interactions between human activities and their environments - encompassing...