This paper studies the Xi’an City Wall (XCW) as a sustainable historical heritage. Based on the conservation process of XCW, the study is focused on four experiences that drive its sustainable development. First, the opening of gates through XCW helped to maximize its preservation while meeting the needs for urban transportation. Second, transforming XCW into an urban public space facilitated the gradual building of its camp into a city-dominated landscape. Furthermore, integrating social activities into the public space carried by XCW brought people closer to the heritage. Moreover, the use of XCW as the benchmark for the modern Xi’an urban space pattern ensured the continuation of its historical coordinates on the basis. In order to maintain the sustainability of XCW, a future sustainable development plan is put forward according to the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach proposed by UNESCO. This plan has a generalization guiding significance for the future policy formulation of XCW. Findings from this study serve as a reference for the planning and conservation of historical heritage in cities.

Historical sites generally contain cultural and natural elements and contribute to the charm of a city. Their development can also help shape urban branding and boost economic growth. Therefore, this study selects two representative pagoda courtyards in the ancient capital Xi’an to investigate how historical sites can benefit more people. Both of the pagoda courtyards are outstanding cityscapes since they were erected in the Tang Dynasty. They have been continually repaired and maintained by later generations, and the surrounding environment design of the courtyards is organically integrated with the urban structure of the past dynasties. In the wave of urban construction in recent years, the two pagoda courtyards are also facing different environmental design paths. However, both scholars and the public are concerned that large-scale space development will damage the psychological perception of historical sites. The Perceived Restorative Scale (PRS) was adopted to study the courtyards' mental restorativeness. Through semi-structured interviews and thematic analyses, the diverse sources of mental restoration are demonstrated. Overall, PRS results verify the mental restorativeness of the historic pagoda courtyards. Furthermore, the pagodas' varied modern urban designs manifested different restorative perceptions for individuals. This study provides pre-development data for the SW regarding its spatial perception. Secondly, this study provides a scientific basis for urban planning and management strategy, adding to the debate surrounding conservation and utilisation of urban historical/cultural environments. It informs open design principles for the regeneration of historical/cultural environments in the urban fabric.