World Heritage Cities in the context of urban renewal: The reuse pathway of heritage buildings in Suzhou, China

Abstract

Suzhou in China, as a participant in UNESCO’s World Heritage Cities Program, stands as one of China’s pilot cities for urban renewal. Within its historic urban areas, the city has implemented innovative practices and strategies to revitalize its tangible and intangible heritage. This paper delves into the crucial issue of heritage building reuse, aiming to strike a balance between their “specimen” and “living” values. To define the success of reuse projects, this study compares evaluation criteria and parameters from both domestic and international contexts. The paper then focuses on examining the exemplary reuse practices in Suzhou, leading to the identification and summarization of the “Suzhou reuse pathway.” Specifically, value construction serves as a case study to assess the impact of heritage reuse through the analysis of public feedback. This examination underscores the effectiveness of Suzhou’s pathway, positioning it as a positive reference in the global discourse on architectural heritage conservation and sustainable development in World Heritage Cities.