Re-Examining Urban Vitality through Jane Jacobs’ Criteria Using GIS-sDNA: The Case of Qingdao, China

This study focuses on the assessment of historic city vitality to address increasingly fragmented urban patterns and prevent decline livability in older areas. In 1961, Jane Jacobs theorized found main conditions that were required for promotion life cities: diversity land use, small block sizes, buildings with varied characteristics ages, density people buildings, accessibility all without depending private transport, distance border elements. Jacobs’ criteria has had an indisputable influence researchers planners especially Anglo-American context. perspective influenced development New Urbanism similar planning policies, such as neo-traditional communities transit oriented development, yet her theories have be more substantiated Asia’s developing cities, China’s cities. order verify significance theory Chinese we develop a composite measure 16 variables built environment, test it using GIS-sDNA aging population low-income Qingdao. A systematic approach spatial analysis allows us provide detailed interpretation form. The results emphasize cities vitality, far from being homogeneous, followed multi-centered distribution pattern, which is related previous European region, where grid-type pattern was likely disperse vitality. can serve useful framework studying different areas geographical contexts.