This study applies the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) framework to evaluate fire safety risks in 36 historic buildings in Nan’an District, Chongqing, a mountainous urban area with complex geographical and environmental challenges. The research highlights the interplay between geographical clustering, environmental factors and fire safety infrastructure, revealing the tension between preserving the authenticity of heritage buildings and implementing modern fire safety measures. By integrating with field surveys, the study identifies and prioritises critical vulnerability factors. The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the AHP framework in systematically quantifying fire risks and providing actionable insights for decision-making. Recommendations are proposed to enhance fire safety, including tailored infrastructure improvements, strengthened management practices, and the integration of unobtrusive fire suppression technologies. This research contributes to the advancement of risk assessment methodologies in heritage conservation and offers a foundation for extending the AHP framework to other risk types or regional contexts.

Post-industrial waterfronts have become key arenas of urban transformation, where heritage, public space and social equity intersect. This study examined the Xuhui Waterfront in Shanghai under the ‘One River, One Creek’ initiative, which converted former industrial land into a continuous riverfront corridor of parks and cultural venues. The research aimed to evaluate whether this large-scale renewal enhanced social equity or produced new forms of exclusion. A tripartite analytical framework of distributive, procedural and recognitional justice was applied, combining spatial mapping, remote-sensing analysis of vegetation and heat exposure, housing price-to-income ratio assessment, and policy review from 2015 to 2024. The results showed that the continuity of the riverfront, increased greenery and adaptive reuse of industrial structures improved accessibility, environmental quality and cultural enjoyment. However, housing affordability became increasingly polarised, indicating emerging gentrification and generational inequality. This study concluded that this dual outcome reflected the fiscal dependency of state-led renewal on land-lease revenues and high-end development. It suggested that future waterfront projects could adopt financially sustainable yet inclusive models, such as incremental phasing, public–private partnerships and guided self-renewal, to better reconcile heritage conservation, public-space creation and social fairness.