Spatial Evolution Characteristics and Driving Factors of Historic Urban Areas Based on HGIS: A Case Study of Tianqiao Area in Beijing, China.

The long-term spatial evolution of historic urban areas provides crucial historical evidence for urban socio-economic development. Understanding this evolution is vital for both historic preservation and the efficient use of central urban land. This paper conducts a case study of Tianqiao area located along the southern central axis of Beijing's historic urban area, utilizing the Historical Geographic Information Systems (HGIS) methodology. It divides its spatial development from 1553 to 2022 into four periods and explores the driving factors from three aspects: political system transformations, transportation and trade dynamics, and administrative reforms. First, it examines the area's spatial development influenced by ancient geopolitical factors, highlighting the characteristics of self-organized development. During the Republic of China period, the area evolved into an auxiliary space fulfilling the material and spiritual needs of the populace under urban territorial governance. Second, it identifies three transportation factors - internal and external transit routes, urban core locations, and regional trade - that contributed to its linear expansion southward along major transportation arteries. Third, it highlights four distinct land use states under bottom-up and top-down management mechanisms: germination, freedom, constraint, and revitalization. The relaxation of political control during the Republic of China period significantly shaped Tianqiao area's hierarchical structure, spatial scale, and physical form. Amid China's ongoing urban economic ownership restructuring, Tianqiao area exhibits spatial tendencies towards orderly integration and capital-driven spatial cultural reproduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]