Scientific identification of ecological sources and corridors is crucial in constructing an ecological security pattern (ESP). To develop an ESP tailored to the scale of central urban areas in megacities, this study takes Central Beijing as the research object. It innovatively integrates the integrated valuation of ecosystem services and tradeoffs (InVEST), the morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA), and the Conefor software to identify ecological sources. Seven indicators related to topographic, natural conditions, and human disturbance factors are selected to build the ecological resistance surface, which is then combined with circuit theory to construct the ESP. The results show the following: (1) Central Beijing contains 157 ecological sources, primarily distributed in the western, northern, and eastern regions, with woodland as the dominant land type. (2) A total of 439 ecological corridors were extracted, including 317 key ecological corridors and 122 inactive ecological corridors. (3) The identified ecological pinch points are mainly the Jingmi Diversion Canal and the West Moat. (4) The identified ecological barriers are spread throughout the entire study area. The results of this study are highly significant for improving the quality of ecological security and protecting biodiversity in the study area and other urban centers.

Balancing economic growth with the decline in ecosystem service functions presents a critical global challenge in the 21st century. In response to the United Nations Development Programme’s emphasis on localizing Sustainable Development Goals, China has devised policies aimed at synergistically advancing high-quality economic development (HQED) and high-level ecological environment protection. However, research exploring the interplay between regional HQED and green space ecosystem services (GSES) remains limited. Consequently, this study examines Shanxi Province, a prototypical resource-based region in China, to develop localized metrics for green total factor productivity (GTFP) and the valuation of green space ecosystem services (GSESV). It quantifies the efficiency of HQED and the growth rate of green space ecological benefits (GSEB). Employing coupling coordination models, Theil indices, cluster analysis, and enhanced grey relational techniques, the research scrutinizes the evolutionary patterns and driving factors of coupling and coordination between HQED and GSEB across various spatial scales from 2007 to 2020. Significant findings include (1) an overall increase in HQED efficiency across all spatial scales, accompanied by a decline in green technological progress (GTC); (2) a sustained growth trend in GSEB per hectare across the province, with the southeastern region, particularly Jincheng, leading; (3) a level of coordination between HQED and GSEB across the province that surpasses the preliminary stage, albeit with pronounced regional disparities, notably the lagging and unstable coordination in the southern regions; (4) significant driving effects of industrial “three wastes” and industrial transformation on the coordinated evolution between HQED and GSEB across all spatial dimensions, with notable impacts of innovation input–output in central, southern, and southeastern Shanxi. This research offers new strategic insights for the synergistic development of the economy and ecology in Shanxi Province and contributes novel theoretical foundations for formulating sustainable development policies globally.

To promote the economic revitalization and cultural prosperity of abandoned coal mine clusters and facilitate regional sustainable development, this study involved the construction of a ranking system for coal mines suitable for cultural tourism transformation and a regional cultural tourism resource coordination planning framework. The research findings and innovations are as follows: (1) Through a combination of subjective judgment and quantitative analysis, an AHP–entropy–TOPSIS evaluation model for the transformation of abandoned coal mine clusters was developed. This model significantly enhances the scientific and precise nature of the decision-making process. (2) By integrating cultural tourism land use indicators, a ranking system for the suitability of coal mines for transformation into cultural tourism destinations was established, enabling the identification of the most suitable coal mines for transformation. (3) The most suitable coal mines for transformation were then integrated with regional historical cultural resources. An innovative application of circuit theory was used to optimize the regional road network, while a kernel density analysis was employed to perform the functional zoning of the study area. This resulted in a comprehensive regional cultural tourism resource coordination planning framework. This study offers a valuable reference for transforming abandoned coal mines and integrating cultural tourism, contributing to regional sustainable development.

With societal progress, urban brownfields have become restrictive, and redevelopment studies have become an important part of urban renewal. In this work, we developed a two-step model for urban brownfield redevelopment, while considering the Wangping brownfield as the study area. Site suitability evaluation models for brownfield parks, agricultural picking gardens, and creative industrial centers were developed based on the elevation, slope, and surface runoff, and the evaluation results were categorized into five levels. The redevelopment plan was formulated based on these evaluation results. To study the effect of the plan, a transition matrix of land use was assessed using satellite images and the cellular automata (CA)–Markov model; based on the analysis, we predicted the land use situation of the Wangping brownfield, with respect to natural development, for 2030. A comparison of the redevelopment planning with the forecasted results revealed that the proportions of grassland, construction, and unused land decreased by 25.68, 3.12, and 2.38% and those of plowland and forest land increased by 6.61 and 24.57%. This confirms the advantages of redevelopment planning for restoring plowland and increasing biological carbon sinks. Notably, our two-step urban brownfield redevelopment model can enrich the current research on urban brownfields and guide similar urban renewal projects.

Stone arch bridges represent culturally significant heritage assets that exhibit distinct regional characteristics. At present digital preservation largely attends to geometric modeling and typically neglects the identification and conformance of core culture genes. This oversight has resulted in a disconnect between technological application and core heritage values, a prevalent issue globally. To address this, this study employs cultural gene theory to formulate a systematic framework for investigating the architectural cultural genes of stone arch bridges from the three dimensions: material–morphological, technical–behavioral, and cultural–symbolic. This study takes the Hongji Bridge in Handan as an example and uses literature research and 3D laser scanning and UAV oblique photogrammetry and qualitative extraction and visual presentation of the architectural genetic characteristics of stone arch bridges. This study identifies 11 core genetic indicators from the dimensions of genetic architecture, inheritance, and evolution, for the architectural cultural genes for the Chinese stone arch bridges The Zhaozhou Bridge (China) and Serranos Bridge (Europe)’s cross-cultural comparative analyses are adopted to validate the generalizability of the framework and the genetic uniqueness of the Chinese stone arch bridge. This research introduces a gene-based model of digital conservancy that fosters the transition of heritage preservation from technology-driven to value-driven.