Studying land comprehensive carrying capacity (LCCC) is the foundational and key requirement for determining land development planning and urban spatial development patterns of a region. However, the traditional evaluation method discounts the fuzziness and randomness of the evaluation index and its results. The cloud model combines randomness and fuzziness to reveal the correlation between randomness and fuzziness using numerical feature entropy and is used to represent the granularity of a qualitative concept. This study used the Liaoning Province as the study area, and developed a multi-dimensional evaluation index system for LCCC using a normal cloud model. Based on this, the relationship between the different elements of geological condition, resources and environment, economic scale and urban construction were studied using the coupling coordination degree model that reflected not only the system interactions but also the strengths of its degree of coordination. Our results were as follows: (1) numerical feature entropy were evaluated to determine the carrying capacity level of the land, and comprehensive land carrying capacity evaluations were conducted in terms of both quantitative results and the reliability of the results, promoting the scientific application of uncertainty theory in the field of comprehensive land evaluation as well as carrying capacity. (2) Liaoning Province’s prefecture-level cities had distinctly different LCCC, demonstrating “low in the west and high in the east” spatial distribution characteristics. Cities with established economies and relatively strong infrastructures had larger comprehensive land carrying capacities. Overall, there was considerable consistency across the region, though the “low in the west and high in the east” spatial distribution characteristics affected the degree of coordination.

From a postmodernist perspective, tourist experience is a subjective construct related to numerous aspects. Tourists can generate either positive or negative emotions from their experiences, and negative experiences are not exclusive to satisfied tourists. This study analyzes the negative experiences of tourists with different satisfaction levels. Lijiang Old Town was chosen to conduct the case study. A computer-assisted content analysis method was used to identify and analyze the negative experience themes. The attitudes of tourists with different satisfaction levels towards these themes are discussed. The results indicate that people understand the meaning and value of a destination uniquely. The main negative experience themes of Lijiang Old Town include touristy aspects, commercialization, lack of authenticity, and the ease of getting lost. Tourists with different satisfaction levels share these negative comments, while their perceptions and attitudes of each theme are quite different. Tourists have a similar perception of “commercialization” and “lack of authenticity” in Lijiang. Tourists with low satisfaction complain about the experience brought by “touristy” and “easy to get lost”, while highly satisfied tourists appreciate the similar experiences. “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure” is a common phenomenon in the tourism context. This study enhances the personalization attribute of tourist experience. The negative feedbacks of tourists should be dealt with according to the specific situation.

The vitality dynamics of historic urban areas under high tourism pressure and their underlying mechanisms remain not fully understood, posing a challenge to sustaining their uniqueness against homogenized redevelopment. To explore this issue, this study utilises human mobility data and an XGBoost-SHAP model to examine the spatio-temporal dynamics of block-level vitality and to uncover the nonlinear effects of built environment factors in Shenyang, China. The results indicate that: (1) Diverging from the commuting patterns of general urban areas, the vitality of historic urban areas presents unique spatio-temporal shifts, transitioning from commercial centers on weekdays to a commercial-cultural mix during holidays. (2) The determinants of vitality vary temporally, shifting from accessibility-oriented (subway) on weekdays to heritage-oriented (state historic sites) during holidays. (3) By applying the ‘Three-Factor Theory’ from satisfaction research to decode nonlinear effects, the study classifies factors into Performance (functional density), Basic (proximity to water bodies), and Excitement (distance to subway and state historic sites). The findings guide urban renewal to prioritize systemic and sustainable vitality across the historic urban areas rather than maximizing vitality in specific locations.

The countryside is the habitat of food, ecology, and culture, and the indispensable basis for human survival and development. Assessing the spatial and temporal evolution of rural settlements contributes to the promotion of rural scientific developments. This study used the fractal theory, center-of-gravity model, and spatial syntax to analyze the spatial and temporal evolution of Shenyang Ciyutuo Subdistrict and its influencing factors based on geospatial data from 2009‒2019, from the perspectives of internal characteristics and external morphological changes. In terms of the external characteristics, from 2009‒2019, the compactness index increased from 0.414 to 0.454, the expansion rate increased from 1.17% to 3.11%, and the expansion intensity increased from 0.05% to 0.15%. From 2014‒2019, the western part of the subdistrict experienced the maximum expansion rate and expansion intensity. The center-of-gravity of the construction land shifted to the west and southwest. The internal characteristics of land use depended on geographical conditions. Clusters of rural settlements were formed in a north-south direction due to the topography and along the riverside in a band-like manner. From 2009‒2019, the integration level of the subdistrict improved and the scale and number of integration axis increased, forming a multicore tree-shaped structure. Pearson’s correlation analysis showed that urbanization is the main factor affecting the spatial and temporal land-use evolution, with transportation convenience, industrial park, and proximity to the river having little effects. This study provides a theoretical basis for the development of Ciyutuo Subdistrict and provides a reference for the development of similar commercial towns.

The rapid pace of urbanization has led to excessive resource consumption and worsening environmental pollution, particularly in resource-based cities, where prolonged exploitation of mineral resources has resulted in dual challenges of ecological degradation and economic imbalance. Using Fushun, a resource-exhausted city still struggling with its transformation, as a case study, this research develops a progressive analytical framework that integrates the InVEST model, optimal parameter geographic detector, and multi-scale geographically weighted regression. This framework, comprising a sequence of analytical steps—single-factor analysis, interaction-factor analysis, global regression analysis, and geographically weighted regression analysis—enables a comprehensive exploration of the driving mechanisms behind ES changes in Fushun from 2000 to 2020. The results indicate the following: (1) Significant changes in ecosystem services were observed, with water yield and soil conservation showing a fluctuating upward trend, while carbon storage and habitat quality experienced slight declines. (2) Over time, the dominant drivers transitioned from primarily socio-economic factors to a synergistic influence of natural and human activities. GDP and land use intensity increasingly contributed to explaining ecosystem services through their interaction effects. (3) At the street scale, driving mechanisms exhibited spatial heterogeneity. For instance, the negative effects of built-up land and cultivated land were more pronounced in urban–rural transition zones, while elevation and NDVI had a more positive impact in ecological source areas. This framework provides systematic and targeted recommendations that offer data-driven insights to guide policies prioritizing regional ecological sustainability. Furthermore, it provides practical reference points for improving the ecological quality of other coal resource-exhausted cities undergoing incomplete transformations.

Amid rapid global population aging, developing age-friendly urban spaces centered on the “15-minute community life circle” has become a priority in planning research. Taking Shenhe District of Shenyang City, a region undergoing deep aging, as a case study, this research constructs a facility weighting system reflecting the actual needs of the elderly. Integrating multi-source spatial data, the XGBoost model and SHAP framework were applied to analyze the non-linear effects of socio-economic, functional, and land-use factors on facility convenience. Results indicate that: (1) facility convenience exhibits a distinct “west-high, east-low” spatial pattern, characterized by high agglomeration in the western core and significant deficits in the eastern fringe; (2) convenience levels vary across categories, with medical and health facilities showing the highest accessibility, while cultural and leisure (CALFs), life service, and elderly care service facilities (ECSFs) remain the primary deficiencies; and (3) influencing variables demonstrate complex non-linear mechanisms, wherein functional density and distance from the city center are critical drivers with non-monotonic effects, while road network density displays threshold effects, inhibiting ECSFs and CALFs at high densities. These findings provide a refined, quantitative basis for optimizing facility layouts and formulating urban renewal strategies to build age-friendly communities.