Designing for Cultural Sustainability: A Cultural Ecology Approach to Environmental Design in Chuxiong’s Rural Areas
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Background and Aim: Cultural sustainability is crucial for rural development, especially where modernization threatens traditional lifestyles, architectural heritage, and ecological balance. This study develops a culturally responsive environmental design framework for Chuxiong's rural areas, integrating vernacular identity with sustainable modernization strategies.
Materials and Methods: This study employed literature review, field observations, case study analysis, and surveys to examine cultural and environmental dynamics in rural settlements. These methods provided a comprehensive understanding of how environmental planning can align with local traditions and community needs.
Results: Findings demonstrate that integrating traditional courtyard layouts and locally sourced materials enhances community acceptance of new developments and strengthens ecological resilience. The proposed strategies for Nanhua Xincun reintroduce vernacular spatial organization, promote sustainable material use, and incorporate landscape elements that reinforce cultural continuity.
Conclusion: The proposed strategies serve as a replicable framework for culturally responsive rural planning, offering valuable insights for governmental policymakers, rural development planners, and environmental designers seeking to balance heritage conservation with modernization.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Copyright on any article in the International Journal of Sociologies and Anthropologies Science Reviews is retained by the author(s) under the under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Permission to use text, content, images, etc. of publication. Any user to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of articles, crawl them for indexing, pass them as data to software, or use them for any other lawful purpose. But do not use it for commercial use or with the intent to benefit any business.
References
Chen, X., Li, Y., & Wang, H. (2022). Cultural heritage conservation in rural China: The balance between preservation and modernization. Journal of Rural Studies, 89, 142–155.
Fang, M. (2020). Vernacular architecture and environmental sustainability: Lessons from rural China. Journal of Architectural Heritage, 15(3), 218–233.
Lang, W., Chen, T., & Li, X. (2016). A new style of urbanization in China: Transformation of urban-rural communities. Habitat International, 55, 1-9.
Li, J., & Sun, R. (2020). Integrating place-based design strategies in rural China: Cultural sustainability and environmental adaptation. Landscape and Urban Planning, 198, 103–121.
Liu, H., & He, Z. (2021). Challenges and opportunities in rural development: The role of cultural identity in China’s modernization process. Asian Journal of Environmental Studies, 47(2), 75–89.
Nassauer, J. I. (1997). Cultural sustainability: aligning aesthetics and ecology. Island Press.
Oliver, P. (2003). Dwellings: The Vernacular House Worldwide. Phaidon Press.
Rapoport, A. (1982). The meaning of the built environment: A nonverbal communication approach. University of Arizona Press.
Sutton, M. Q., & Anderson, E. N. (2020). An introduction to cultural ecology. Routledge.
Wang, H. (2019). Cultural heritage and sustainable rural development in China: Challenges and opportunities. Journal of Cultural Studies, 45(3), 211–228.
Wu, Y., & Yang, L. (2020). Environmental planning and traditional spatial organization: Cultural ecology approaches in Chinese rural settlements. Journal of Urban and Rural Planning, 67(4), 188–205.
Wu, Y., & Yang, L. (2021). Integrating ecological and cultural factors into rural revitalization: A case study in Chuxiong, China. Journal of Sustainable Architecture, 12(1), 33–49.
Xu, X., & Xia, Y. (2023). Cultural governance in rural China: The reproduction of ancestral hall spaces in Guangdong. Progress in Geography, 42(8), 1303–1315.
Zhang, L., & Liu, H. (2021). Cultural ecology and sustainable rural development: A case study of Southwest China. Journal of Rural Studies, 87, 189–204.
Zhang, X. (2019). Rural modernization and cultural identity loss in China: Examining the impact of urban expansion. China Rural Studies, 45(2), 99–112.
Zhang, Y., & Liu, Q. (2021). The role of public space in cultural identity preservation: A comparative study of rural transformations in China. International Journal of Cultural Policy, 27(2), 278–294.
