Decoding Culture-Embedded Urban Forms: A Hierarchical Analysis of Dongguan Street Area in Dalian, China

Dalian is one of the most important cities in north-eastern China, integrating commerce, transportation, tourism and other industrial modes. Over its long history, the city has been shaped by diverse economic and cultural influences, forming varied and complex urban forms. The renewal of, and other changes to, historical urban areas of Dalian reflect the impact of urban functional changes on production modes and people’s lives. Exploring these changes also sheds light on the drivers of urban economic and cultural reform in different historical periods. This study takes the historical Dongguan Street area of Dalian as a case study, conducting a physical hierarchical analysis from the macro level to the micro level. Exploring the mechanisms underpinning the evolution of urban form in this area offers in-depth insights into the relationship between economic reform and cultural development and their physical expressions. The study sheds light on the unique cultural and social characteristics of Dongguan Street, exploring the common features and changing laws of development of this historical area over time. It shows how the irregular chequerboard-style urban texture and diverse courtyard-style building groups with European facade decorative elements has been embedded in a unique multicultural fusion of local and foreign cultures and a commercial culture formed by the development of Dalian’s national industry and commerce. Its findings not only offer guidance for the protection and renewal of this historical urban area but also provide inspiration for and assistance with the future adaptive development of cities in north-eastern China.