Identification of Spatial and Symbolic City Image Elements Through Social Media Data: A Case Study of Hangzhou

Despite emerging empirical findings and computational tools that extend city image research to include social dimensions beyond visual perception, methodologies for effectively identifying and analyzing the relationships between the five city image elements remain underdeveloped. This paper addresse...

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Main Authors: Jiaqi Wang, Yu Shi, Weishun Xu, Yue Wu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-12-01
Series:Land
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/12/2194
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author Jiaqi Wang
Yu Shi
Weishun Xu
Yue Wu
author_facet Jiaqi Wang
Yu Shi
Weishun Xu
Yue Wu
author_sort Jiaqi Wang
collection DOAJ
description Despite emerging empirical findings and computational tools that extend city image research to include social dimensions beyond visual perception, methodologies for effectively identifying and analyzing the relationships between the five city image elements remain underdeveloped. This paper addresses the gap by proposing a big data-driven method, integrating Weibo check-in data, Baidu Map POI, and ArcGIS algorithms to identify city image elements and further reveal a city’s overall morphological characteristics. Based on different modes of observation, city image elements are categorized as spatial descriptors (“districts”, “nodes”, and “paths”) and symbolic descriptors (“landmarks” and “edges”). Taking Hangzhou as a case study, the findings show a strong alignment between urban development achievements and the distribution patterns of city image elements. “Districts” and “landmarks” stand out as the most prominent, reflecting functional zoning and urban maturity, while “nodes” emphasize the city’s polycentric structure. “Paths” offer clear insight into the city’s development trajectory, while “edges” appear to be legible only in relation to other elements. This method innovates cognitive mapping by merging real-world perceptions with algorithmic precision, offering a valuable tool for understanding urban morphology, monitoring development changes, and fostering participatory urban design.
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spelling doaj-art-b721c49a9c8043ce88af5399c3d26eaf2024-12-27T14:35:25ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2024-12-011312219410.3390/land13122194Identification of Spatial and Symbolic City Image Elements Through Social Media Data: A Case Study of HangzhouJiaqi Wang0Yu Shi1Weishun Xu2Yue Wu3College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, ChinaThe Architectural Design & Research Institute of Zhejiang University Co., Ltd., Hangzhou 310028, ChinaCollege of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, ChinaCollege of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, ChinaDespite emerging empirical findings and computational tools that extend city image research to include social dimensions beyond visual perception, methodologies for effectively identifying and analyzing the relationships between the five city image elements remain underdeveloped. This paper addresses the gap by proposing a big data-driven method, integrating Weibo check-in data, Baidu Map POI, and ArcGIS algorithms to identify city image elements and further reveal a city’s overall morphological characteristics. Based on different modes of observation, city image elements are categorized as spatial descriptors (“districts”, “nodes”, and “paths”) and symbolic descriptors (“landmarks” and “edges”). Taking Hangzhou as a case study, the findings show a strong alignment between urban development achievements and the distribution patterns of city image elements. “Districts” and “landmarks” stand out as the most prominent, reflecting functional zoning and urban maturity, while “nodes” emphasize the city’s polycentric structure. “Paths” offer clear insight into the city’s development trajectory, while “edges” appear to be legible only in relation to other elements. This method innovates cognitive mapping by merging real-world perceptions with algorithmic precision, offering a valuable tool for understanding urban morphology, monitoring development changes, and fostering participatory urban design.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/12/2194image of the citycity image elementscognitive mappingsocial media check-ins
spellingShingle Jiaqi Wang
Yu Shi
Weishun Xu
Yue Wu
Identification of Spatial and Symbolic City Image Elements Through Social Media Data: A Case Study of Hangzhou
Land
image of the city
city image elements
cognitive mapping
social media check-ins
title Identification of Spatial and Symbolic City Image Elements Through Social Media Data: A Case Study of Hangzhou
title_full Identification of Spatial and Symbolic City Image Elements Through Social Media Data: A Case Study of Hangzhou
title_fullStr Identification of Spatial and Symbolic City Image Elements Through Social Media Data: A Case Study of Hangzhou
title_full_unstemmed Identification of Spatial and Symbolic City Image Elements Through Social Media Data: A Case Study of Hangzhou
title_short Identification of Spatial and Symbolic City Image Elements Through Social Media Data: A Case Study of Hangzhou
title_sort identification of spatial and symbolic city image elements through social media data a case study of hangzhou
topic image of the city
city image elements
cognitive mapping
social media check-ins
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/12/2194
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AT weishunxu identificationofspatialandsymboliccityimageelementsthroughsocialmediadataacasestudyofhangzhou
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