Impacts of Urbanization on the Protection of Built Heritage in Traditional Villages: A Case Study of 96 Traditional Villages in Guangzhou, China.

The rapid urban development has intensified the conflicts between vernacular and modern civilizations. Large-scale urban expansion and development have placed traditional villages at risk of gradual disappearance or decline. As tangible carriers of cultural value, the built heritage of these villages has faced varying degrees of impact from urbanization. This study, which examines 96 traditional villages in Guangzhou City, employs a structural equation model incorporating four dimensions of urbanization and two aspects of built heritage protection to investigate how urbanization affects built heritage conservation. The findings reveal that: (1) the mechanisms through which urbanization negatively affects the spatial patterns and features of suburban and exurban villages differ; (2) favorable economic and locational factors support the protection and development of heritage buildings; and (3) the construction and enhancement of facilities have both positive and negative impacts on built heritage. This research provides an important reference for the conservation and development of built heritage in traditional villages, which is of practical significance in realizing the sustainable development of built heritage.