JAILCD2026-001: Continuity of Sustainable Urban Fabric: Regenerative Design of the Spirit of Place in Sankuaicuo Settlement, Kaohsiung

Abstract

Sankuaicuo, a historic settlement in Kaohsiung, embodies a rich accumulation of spatial patterns, collective memory, and everyday commercial life that reflect the city’s early urban development. While portions of the settlement still preserve traditional street morphology, religious spaces, and festive practices, ongoing urbanization has gradually transformed building functions, reduced daily street activity, and weakened local spatial vitality. This study investigates the spirit of place of the Sankuaicuo settlement through historical document analysis and on-site field observation, examining its historical evolution, spatial form, and everyday practices. The findings reveal that the settlement’s sense of place is primarily shaped by the continuity of commercial street texture, the interweaving of religious and daily activities, and the permeability between main streets and inner alleys. Based on these insights, the study proposes a three-dimensional spatial regeneration framework that extends street vitality horizontally and vertically through public space integration and alley-based spatial permeation. The research demonstrates that such a design-oriented approach can effectively translate cultural memory into contemporary spatial strategies, offering a practical reference for the regeneration of historic market streets and sustainable urban development in similar contexts.