As a typical linear cultural heritage site recently inscribed on The World Heritage List, the Beijing Central Axis urgently requires scientific assessment tools to support its comprehensive protection and revitalization. Addressing the limitations of current historical and cultural space evaluations that prioritize individual elements and overlook their interconnections, this paper constructs a quantitative evaluation framework for spatial nodes along linear tourism paths, guided by the theory of cultural routes and the concept of place spirit. The study divides the Central Axis into six continuous sections and 15 evaluation units based on historical functions and spatial characteristics. It extracts 19 indicators from six dimensions: location factors, historical and cultural factors, spatial form, environmental quality, service facilities, and accessibility. The entropy weight method (EWM) and TOPSIS model are comprehensively applied for objective weighting and comprehensive ranking. The results indicate significant variations in cultural depth and service provision among the nodes. Imperial palaces and gardens segments exhibit prominent historical and cultural value but lack service facilities, while traditional commercial street market segments are vibrant but face the risk of dilution of historical atmosphere. This study not only provides a decision-making basis for the refined management and optimization of the Beijing Central Axis’s sightseeing system but also offers a transferable methodological paradigm for the dynamic inheritance and spatial quality improvement of similar linear cultural heritage sites globally.
Yan Zhang (Mon,) studied this question.