A large amount of industrial heritage has been preserved owing to the wide recognition of its value as part of urban renewal and rural revitalization. Shaanxi’s industrial heritage is unique because of its rich historical resources. However, research on Shaanxi’s industrial heritage has been of point and piecemeal form rather than systematic. In this study, through the collection of historical data and study of the academic literature, we analyzed 385 industrial heritage sites in Shaanxi in time and space from 1840 to 1978 using a geographic information system (GIS) to reveal their evolution patterns. We comprehensively examined the influence of factors such as natural resources, traditional ancient industry inheritance, transportation conditions, and historical policies, and found that the distribution of industrial heritage in Shaanxi resulted from the interaction of these factors. We have constructed the first ever level categorized and quantified multilevel industrial heritage atlas of Shaanxi in the form of a Sankey diagram using GIS spatial maps, which provides a traceable historical record for each industrial heritage site. We not only reveal the spatial evolution law of industrial heritage in Shaanxi but also provide an overall view of the practice of industrial heritage protection and renewal, thus helping avoid the homogenization of future design. Our findings are also of academic and practical significance for the study and protection of industrial heritage.

The historical authenticity of historic urban areas has been compromised, and community cohesion has declined, necessitating comprehensive methods to systematically identify spatial textures and socio-cultural transformation characteristics. This study investigates the Jianxi Historic Urban Area in Luoyang from a Historic Urban Landscape perspective, integrating GIS, sDNA tools, and semi-structured interviews to analyze material spatial evolution and socio-cultural shifts. The findings reveal stable street network structures enhanced by road expansions, functional intensification marked by rising residential density and tertiary sector growth, and high replacement rates of 1950s–1960s buildings that improved the area’s physical quality but disrupted historical continuity and heritage integrity. Material transformations fragmented collective memory and reshaped residents’ sense of place identity. This research proposes sustainable renewal strategies, emphasizing refined gradient control models, community identity revitalization, and participatory decision-making, offering actionable insights for regenerating historic urban areas.

This study aimed to determine the characteristics and driving factors of spatial evolution in urban historical areas during urbanization and urban renewal and recommend how to protect these areas. The urban historical district of Zhangye, a famous historical and cultural city in China, was chosen as the study area. The research used a land transfer matrix, spatial design network analysis (sDNA), GIS analysis, and relevant statistical methods. It analyzed the spatial evolution characteristics of the district by considering the transformation of land use, the evolution of road networks, and the renewal of building profiles. GeoDetector was used to explore the effects of the factors. The study found that in the district, commercial and business land increased while industrial, manufacturing, logistics, and warehouse land decreased. The evolution speed at each stage had a wave-like development. The street pattern maintained the basic “cross” shape, with continuous improvements in the road system and overall accessibility. The building volume also increased gradually. The main types of architectural renewal included setback, integration, demolition, and addition. Meanwhile, economic and industrial factors had the most significant influence on the renewal of the district, whereas cultural factors had increasing influence. Finally, the dual-factor effects were more significant than the single-factor impacts.