From the population data since the 16th century, we found that the historical population of Hancheng's population peaked at 199,326 (in 1818). Since then, until 1960s, the population of Hancheng was below this value. It can be seen that before the present age, the first half of the 19th century is the most densely populated period in the history of Hancheng. The mid 19th Century could also be the most mature period of traditional settlements’ form in this region. In the past 50 years, the population of the Hancheng city has continued to grow, from 202,459 in 1968 to 402,393 in 2017. By comparing the 1967 satellite images (USGS) with current satellite images and performing some quantitative analysis, we found that the morphological characteristics of cities and villages in Hancheng area have changed dramatically in the past 50 years (especially in the past 20 years) , and have the following characteristics: 1. The area of built-up areas of cities and villages has increased dramatically and penetrated each other; agricultural land has decreased, and land use in secondary industries has increased significantly; 2. The number of historical towns and villages in the region is reduced; 3. There is homogeneity in the growth of urban and rural forms, and the newly built areas and traditional settlement spatial forms show strong differences and identifiability. 4. In the process of urban and rural growth, China's traditional urban-rural planning and construction concept was replaced by modern planning concepts led by “Taylorism” and “Fordism”; 5. The changes in industrial models and economic lifestyles have brought about variations in the architectural forms within traditional settlements, which have led to changes in the overall style of traditional settlements; 5. In order to adapt to the changes in industrial models and economic lifestyles, the architectural forms within the traditional settlements have spontaneously mutated and led to changes in the overall style of traditional settlements; 6. The above changes have begun to undermine and continue to threaten the authenticity and integrity of the overall landscape of historical cities and historical villages. In 1986, China's State Council approved Hancheng as a China Historically and Culturally Famous City (CHCFC). In 2003, Dangjia Village in Hancheng City was selected as a China Historically and Culturally Famous Village (CHCFV); from 2012 to now, 10 villages in Hancheng City have been rated as China Traditional Villages (CTV). At present, the distribution density of national-level historical settlements (historical cities and historical villages) within the jurisdiction of Hancheng City ranks first among the cities (counties) in Shaanxi Province, and it is the most densely distributed area of historical settlements in the Guanzhong Plain. On the other hand, in November 2015, Hancheng was listed as the Second Batch of National Comprehensive Pilot Areas of New-type Urbanization.according “Second Batch of National New-type Urbanization Comprehensive Pilot Areas Work Programs” promulgated by the National Development and Reform Commission in 2015, by 2020 the urbanization rate of resident population in Hancheng will be increased from 68% in 2015 to 79% by 2020, which means 100,000 rural people will settle in cities. This change in the urbanization target index encourages more rural people to move to the city in one direction, and will also aggravate the phenomenon of disusing and discarding that has already occurred in traditional villages. In the future urban development of Hancheng, the urbanization process will bring about the continued expansion of the peri-urbanized area in a certain period of time (we can interpret it through Henri Lefebvre’s theory of The Production of Space), and the transformation of traditional agriculture into modern agriculture. Therefore, the contradiction and challenge between the urbanization and the protection of the historical landscape of traditional settlements have become very prominent in Hancheng. Compared with other regions, these issues are more realistic and urgent for Hancheng. By comparing the changes in urban morphology over the past 50 years, we found that the original intact traditional agricultural landscape showed fragmentation in urban expansion, and many historical villages have become urban isolated islands. At the same time, some national traditional villages (rural heritage) concentrated in the suburbs of the city are facing the threat of continued urban expansion. As an important part of the overall protection of traditional settlements, the preservation of traditional agricultural landscapes around these villages faces enormous challenges. This study attempts to combine the traditional village conservation method with the current basic farmland protection system to explore the possibility of forming the agricultural landscape parks with the traditional villages as the core in the suburbs of the city, so as to promote it as a good urban suburb landscape and urban agricultural heritage in the future. This study may subvert the contents of the existing "Regulations on the Protection of CHCFC, Towns and Villages" concerning the delineation of the protection scope of historic villages.
The Morphological Change and the Peri-Urbanization Process affecting Historical Villages in Hancheng City (Shaanxi
Laura Anna Pezzetti;LI Kun;
2018-01-01
Abstract
From the population data since the 16th century, we found that the historical population of Hancheng's population peaked at 199,326 (in 1818). Since then, until 1960s, the population of Hancheng was below this value. It can be seen that before the present age, the first half of the 19th century is the most densely populated period in the history of Hancheng. The mid 19th Century could also be the most mature period of traditional settlements’ form in this region. In the past 50 years, the population of the Hancheng city has continued to grow, from 202,459 in 1968 to 402,393 in 2017. By comparing the 1967 satellite images (USGS) with current satellite images and performing some quantitative analysis, we found that the morphological characteristics of cities and villages in Hancheng area have changed dramatically in the past 50 years (especially in the past 20 years) , and have the following characteristics: 1. The area of built-up areas of cities and villages has increased dramatically and penetrated each other; agricultural land has decreased, and land use in secondary industries has increased significantly; 2. The number of historical towns and villages in the region is reduced; 3. There is homogeneity in the growth of urban and rural forms, and the newly built areas and traditional settlement spatial forms show strong differences and identifiability. 4. In the process of urban and rural growth, China's traditional urban-rural planning and construction concept was replaced by modern planning concepts led by “Taylorism” and “Fordism”; 5. The changes in industrial models and economic lifestyles have brought about variations in the architectural forms within traditional settlements, which have led to changes in the overall style of traditional settlements; 5. In order to adapt to the changes in industrial models and economic lifestyles, the architectural forms within the traditional settlements have spontaneously mutated and led to changes in the overall style of traditional settlements; 6. The above changes have begun to undermine and continue to threaten the authenticity and integrity of the overall landscape of historical cities and historical villages. In 1986, China's State Council approved Hancheng as a China Historically and Culturally Famous City (CHCFC). In 2003, Dangjia Village in Hancheng City was selected as a China Historically and Culturally Famous Village (CHCFV); from 2012 to now, 10 villages in Hancheng City have been rated as China Traditional Villages (CTV). At present, the distribution density of national-level historical settlements (historical cities and historical villages) within the jurisdiction of Hancheng City ranks first among the cities (counties) in Shaanxi Province, and it is the most densely distributed area of historical settlements in the Guanzhong Plain. On the other hand, in November 2015, Hancheng was listed as the Second Batch of National Comprehensive Pilot Areas of New-type Urbanization.according “Second Batch of National New-type Urbanization Comprehensive Pilot Areas Work Programs” promulgated by the National Development and Reform Commission in 2015, by 2020 the urbanization rate of resident population in Hancheng will be increased from 68% in 2015 to 79% by 2020, which means 100,000 rural people will settle in cities. This change in the urbanization target index encourages more rural people to move to the city in one direction, and will also aggravate the phenomenon of disusing and discarding that has already occurred in traditional villages. In the future urban development of Hancheng, the urbanization process will bring about the continued expansion of the peri-urbanized area in a certain period of time (we can interpret it through Henri Lefebvre’s theory of The Production of Space), and the transformation of traditional agriculture into modern agriculture. Therefore, the contradiction and challenge between the urbanization and the protection of the historical landscape of traditional settlements have become very prominent in Hancheng. Compared with other regions, these issues are more realistic and urgent for Hancheng. By comparing the changes in urban morphology over the past 50 years, we found that the original intact traditional agricultural landscape showed fragmentation in urban expansion, and many historical villages have become urban isolated islands. At the same time, some national traditional villages (rural heritage) concentrated in the suburbs of the city are facing the threat of continued urban expansion. As an important part of the overall protection of traditional settlements, the preservation of traditional agricultural landscapes around these villages faces enormous challenges. This study attempts to combine the traditional village conservation method with the current basic farmland protection system to explore the possibility of forming the agricultural landscape parks with the traditional villages as the core in the suburbs of the city, so as to promote it as a good urban suburb landscape and urban agricultural heritage in the future. This study may subvert the contents of the existing "Regulations on the Protection of CHCFC, Towns and Villages" concerning the delineation of the protection scope of historic villages.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
