Complex network analysis of industrial heritage spatial protection and utilization: the Liuzhi mining case

Industrial heritage, as an important legacy of technological and social progress, has attracted global academic attention. This study focuses on China’s national-level Liuzhi Parcel Mines Coal Cleaning Plant and applies complex network, space syntax, and void ratio analyses to construct a spatial protection and utilization framework. Results show that the mining complex exhibits uniform spatial distribution but low intelligibility, poor integration with terrain, and a clear core–edge structure. High-centrality nodes cluster in production zones, while residential areas display higher network vulnerability. Historical value, locational advantage, and preservation status significantly influence network relationships. Based on these findings, a comprehensive conservation and utilization system integrating spatial identification, network modeling, influence analysis, protection zoning, and renewal design is proposed, offering methodological and theoretical support for sustainable conservation and adaptive reuse of industrial heritage.