National Archaeological Site Parks are strategic projects in China for innovatively exploring the scientific protection and rational utilization of large heritage sites for the purpose of balancing urban development and protecting cultural heritage. Therefore, research on the spatial–temporal evolution and influencing factors of National Archaeological Site Parks can improve and optimize their management and pattern systems and is therefore of great significance for the sustainable development of large sites and their surrounding areas. Targeting the 135 National Archaeological Site Parks of China, this paper adopts the nearest-neighbor index analytical method, the kernel density estimation method, the standard deviation ellipse method, the method of constructing an indicator system, and an SPSS factor analysis method to analyze the spatial–temporal evolution and influencing factors of these parks. The findings are as follows: (1) In terms of the temporal evolution, the number of National Archaeological Site Parks increased from 2010 to 2022, and the ages and types of the large heritage sites they are built upon gradually became more balanced and diverse. (2) In terms of the spatial evolution, National Archaeological Site Parks form two high-density areas in Central China and East China. Their overall distribution is consistent with China’s “Hu Line”. (3) In terms of spatial–temporal evolution, the center of gravity of National Archaeological Site Parks’ distribution is advancing toward Southwest China, and the trend of a more balanced distribution is rising. (4) Finally, regional development, heritage tourism, historical resources, and government support were observed to be factors that affect the spatial–temporal patterns of the National Archaeological Site Parks. Based on these findings, we propose specific strategies for coordinating and linking the above four major influencing factors to promote the rational utilization of large heritage sites and the sustainable development of National Archaeological Site Parks. We aim to improve and optimize the management and pattern systems of National Archaeological Site Parks, to promote urban renewal based on large heritage sites, and to provide valuable insights for policy makers and heritage practitioners in other countries with historical resources around the world.

In order to realize the optimization of urban spatial patterns in the Yellow River Basin, a study on the inefficient use of urban land in the Yellow River Basin was carried out. In this study, Dali County and Hancheng County in Weinan City are selected as the research areas. Firstly, the analytic hierarchy process is used to build a comprehensive evaluation system for the identification of inefficient land in stock; secondly, the standard deviation ellipse method and spatial kernel density estimation method are used to quantitatively analyze the spatial distribution characteristics of inefficient land. Thirdly, the contribution model is used to analyze the influencing factors of inefficient land use. Finally, corresponding redevelopment suggestions are given for each type of inefficient land. The results show that Dali had the smallest area of inefficient land; second is Xincheng Street in Hancheng City; and Longmen Town, Hancheng City has the largest area. The distribution of inefficient land in Dali and Longmen Town in Hancheng City is relatively balanced, while the distribution of all kinds of inefficient land in Xincheng Street in Hancheng City is not concentrated. The density of the road network is the most important contributing factor to inefficient land use in the study area. This paper comprehensively uses the methods of economics and geography to study inefficient land use, quantifies the spatial-temporal characteristics and influencing factors of land use units, explores the spatial patterns of land use and enriches the research into relevant theories.

As ancient cities are spaces that represent the development of civilization, it is worth exploring and studying their characteristics and conceptions of land use. In this regard, the focus has turned to the issue of how to achieve the efficient mining of massive urban remote sensing data through human–computer collaboration. In this paper, a new intelligent method of analyzing urban land use characteristics and their cultural significance is proposed; it is feasible, effective, accurate, manageable, and portable. The method is based on a geographic information system (GIS) and a specific algorithm. The city plan was calibrated with the help of satellite remote sensing images and sites. By constructing the “urban element area acquisition and analysis model”, various operations for areas in the city plan were realized, including an area value calculation, land use structure calculation, area modulus analysis, area ratio analysis between areas, and determination of the cultural significance of numbers and ratios. Taking the Sui and Tang dynasties capital city of Chang’an as an example, we found the existence of a set of urban planning techniques through area modulus (standard area units) for the first time; it took the market area as the modulus A and the area of Daxing Palace as the expanded modulus 2A, made the area of important areas in the city an integer multiplied by the modulus value (for example, the overall scope of the city is 100A, the rectangular urban area is 90A, and the small city area is 10A), and made the key values and numerical ratios have a cultural significance (such as 4.5, 5.5, 10, 25, 30, 100, 12:10, 1.618:1, 9:5, 45:1, 2:1), reflecting the planning and design concept of the capital city, into which the ancient Chinese deliberately integrated “number, shape and meaning”. In addition, we carried out supplementary verification with the Roman city of Timgad and the Japanese city of Heijo-kyo, discovering that they also have design methods for area planning. We believe that land use planning can better meet the practical needs of urban resource distribution. Compared with urban form design, it might have chronological precedence. By setting the area modulus and the modulus value of each area, the grid-shaped city achieves the rational distribution of land and the establishment of order in an efficient way, and this thought and operation method greatly contributed to the advancement of ancient civilizations.

How to combine science and technology with the humanities in the research on ancient cities to reveal ancient peoples’ urban planning thoughts is worthy of in-depth study. The capitals of the Western Han dynasty as well as the Sui and Tang dynasties were some of the greatest cities in the world at the time. This paper takes them as its subjects and puts forward a method to study the spatial relationship between ancient cities and the natural environment by combining spatial information technology and cultural analysis. Firstly, satellite images, elevation maps, urban ichnographies, and literature materials were collected and sorted to deeply understand the cultural thoughts involved in ancient urban planning; based on this, key element points were marked and rechecked on the spot, and the above drawings were accurately superimposed by GIS technology to form a geographic information base that integrated multisource information. Then, Python was used to construct a “decision model of spatial relationship between urban elements and natural elements”, and rules as well as parameters were set through man–machine collaboration. The decision model was used to test the geographic information base, and the information of strong correlations between urban objects and natural objects was outputted. The drawings were exported after screening, and a visual expression was realized with Illustrator software. The research results indicated that this analysis method was feasible, effective, and easy to promote. The new archaeological discoveries included eight important line segments with a 9:6 proportional relationship (which represents the balance of Yin and Yang) and two important line segments with a 9:5 proportional relationship (which represents the supreme imperial power) in the capitals of the Western Han dynasty as well as the Sui and Tang dynasties, and 16 contraposition lines in a positive direction or oblique 45° direction (which reflects the close relationship between urban elements and natural elements). We consider that the two capitals were intentionally closely related to natural environments such as mountain peaks and valley entrances in the planning stage, and that proportions and scales with profound humanistic meaning were selected. The capital of the Sui and Tang dynasties was specially aligned with the capital of the Western Han dynasty in space. These characteristics embody ancient Chinese Confucian cultural thoughts such as the “integration of yang and yin”, “harmony between nature and humans”, the “supremacy of emperors”, and the “use of numbers and shapes to convey meaning”.