RESEARCH ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF SUSTAINABLE SERVICE DESIGN STRATEGY TO ELEVATE THE WAY OF LIVING IN THE HISTORIC AREA : CASE STUDY OF MENXI COMMUNITY, NANJING

Abstract

Historic urban communities often face increasing difficulties due to rapid city growth, aging infrastructure, and weakened cultural cohesion. Once a vibrant historical enclave, Menxi is now dealing with social fragmentation, declining built environments, and a lack of inclusive planning. These pressing issues highlight the urgent need for sustainable, community-centered revitalization. This research seeks to explore how service design principles can be applied to improve residents’ living quality while preserving the area’s unique cultural heritage.

Adopting a mixed-methods approach, the study integrates quantitative surveys (T0–T2), semi-structured interviews, and focus groups to identify resident-driven needs and evaluate design interventions. Grounded in sustainable development and design thinking, the research proposes the Protect–Activate–Evolve framework and implements it through three small-scale design experiments focused on safety enhancement, environmental comfort, and cultural identity. Quantitative analysis using SPSS and qualitative NVivo coding were applied to triangulate outcomes.

This research found that the PAE-based design interventions produced measurable improvements in environmental comfort, resident experience, and cultural identity. Residents, particularly elderly and long-term inhabitants, reported increased satisfaction, while newer residents developed stronger emotional ties to the neighborhood. While the model proved flexible and replicable, its success also depended on sustained community involvement and local governance. This framework thus offers both opportunities and limitations, but overall, it demonstrates a valid pathway to elevate the way of living in historic communities facing transition.This study contributes a validated framework that bridges service design and sustainable urban renewal, offering actionable pathways for governments, designers, and scholars engaging with historic districts in transformation.

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