Quantifying cultural landscape structure in historic Nanjing: a landscape ecological approach

Cultural landscapes in historic cities increasingly persist as fragmented spatial patches amid long-term urban renewal and structural transformation. Focusing on Nanjing’s old urban district, this study develops a quantifiable analytical framework grounded in landscape ecology, using measurable indicators of spatial configuration, organisational connectivity, and functional diversity. Based on a GIS database of 187 cultural landscape patches, the study identifies a pronounced core–periphery pattern, generally weak systemic connectivity, and marked heterogeneity across patch types and protection levels. The results show that fragmentation is not merely morphological but also structural and functional, reflecting differentiated roles of cultural landscape patches within the urban system. By combining structural identification with landscape ecological metrics, this study provides a transferable quantitative methodological pathway for supporting urban heritage conservation and regeneration in historic cities.