“Self-Driven Power” in the Sustainable Social Innovation Design of Ageing Districts—Based on an Investigation into the Southern Spring Town Historical District in Wuxi

Abstract

This study examines the problems faced by decision-making regarding sustainable social innovation through field research in “villages on the urban fringe,” represented by the Southern Spring Town Historical District in Wuxi. On the premise of protecting urban diversity and cultural recognizability, the “wicked problem” factors that affect the protection and innovative design of the historical district and their framework are analysed by comparing the explicit and implicit factors of the district. This study finds that the residents of this district have undergone spontaneous renewal and changes driven by increasing foreign tourists. These changes are not the result of guidance by government planning and management, nor are they promoted by designers. Additionally, the residents of the Southern Spring Town Historical District generally recognize the unique value of the district’s historical and humanistic landscape. Self-driven power makes the residents’ meaning of environmental protection increase. They actively engage in catering and cultural business activities with Jiangnan regional features. Worries over the district’s lack of successors no longer exist, and a new hope for sustainable development has been gained. We believe that before using planning tools and design thinking to solve the problem of ageing historical districts under the trend of sustainable development, it is necessary to have a deeper understanding of the actual operation of such districts and their real needs and to allow time and space for local residents to solve the “wicked problem” through self-regulation to ultimately achieve the long-term goal of district preservation and sustainable development in a balanced manner.