Research on Regeneration of the Historical Area Based on Typology: Taking the Historical Area of Xudi-Gaodi Street in Guangzhou as an Example

The regeneration of historical areas is an important content in the current urban regeneration. Historical areas have a range of historical characteristics and authentic historical remains. The preservation and use of the historical and cultural heritage of the historical areas of the city is an important task that is worthy of study. The subject of this study is the Xudi-Gaodi Street area in Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, which is included in the sub-historical and cultural area of the southern section of the traditional central axis of Guangzhou and the cultural core of Beijing Road in Guangzhou. It has a history of over 1,000 years since the Song Dynasty, and continues its traditional commercial function while retaining its traditional appearance of the modern era. However, the buildings in the neighbourhood are dilapidated and mixed in style; unauthorised construction has destroyed the traditional street pattern and architectural texture of the neighbourhood; at the same time, the neighbourhood faces problems of inferior business types, traditional building forms and existing usage modes cannot meet the needs of modern business activities, lack of infrastructure in the neighbourhood and insufficient carrying capacity for public activities. This paper focuses on balancing the relationship between the traditional features and the demands of modern life in the conservation and regeneration of historic areas, and proposes a strategy for renovation and regeneration that is adapted to modern life. This paper is divided into five main chapters. Chapter 1 presents the problem and introduces the concepts of typology, clarifying the significance of the typological approach to the regeneration of historical areas. Chapter 2 sorts out the theoretical approaches of western typology that are applicable to the regeneration of historical areas, and summarises and clarifies the necessity and feasibility of applying typological theory to historical areas in China; Chapter 3 presents a case study of the application of typology at three different scales: district, plot and architectural typology; Chapter 4 builds on the previous two chapters and establishes the methodology from two levels: type extraction and type transformation; Chapter 5 takes up the theoretical study and the case study, focusing on Guangzhou. It tested the theories and explores the practice of design based on the historical dimension, analysed the changes in the policy mechanism of Guangzhou”s old city renovation and the upper planning requirements, and proposed a typological integration with the current problems of the Xudi - Gaodi Street historical area. The typological approach was also used to the design exploration of the regeneration of the Xudi-Gaodi Street historical area.