Historical Block Protection: Online Public Participation and Platform Construction

3. Shanghai Tongji Urban Planning & Design Institute Co., Ltd., China

Abstract: With the implementation of benefit-oriented urban renewal, many historical blocks have lost their identifiability. The historical block is an external entity that is a presentation of urban culture. The disappearance and homogenization of the historical block have directly led to the city losing its place attachment, with the overall identifiability of urban areas becoming weakened. Therefore, it is essential to develop a strategy to protect historical block identifiability in urban planning. Traditional urban planning is dominated by government and developers and is highly dependent on planners’ experience-based judgment but lacks quantitative analysis of public participation. As a result, it is difficult to carry out an objective and comprehensive analysis when facing the complicated situation of historical blocks. The issue of public participation has become an essential issue in the process of urban construction and renewal in China and other developing countries. Based on an analysis of the concept and the characteristics and techniques prevalent in the data age, this article discusses (1) the method and mechanism of public participation in the protection of urban historical blocks and (2) the content and structures of public participation platforms for historical districts. Research indicates that the application of cloud technology and reasonable platform design is the focus of public participation in historical block protection, which can change public participation from passive to active, from “lagged” to “synchronized”.