Spatial Association of Building Network Connectivity and Vitality in Urban Historic Districts: A Case Study of Changsha

Historic and cultural districts are key carriers of urban historical continuity, and the historic buildings within them form the material basis for cultural inheritance and living conservation. Balancing heritage preservation with vitality enhancement has become a central issue in their sustainable renewal. This study examines three historic districts in Changsha—Chaozong Street, Taiping Street, and Xiwenmiaoping—using complex network analysis and multi-source data integration at the building scale to investigate building network structure, vitality distribution, and their spatial association. The results reveal distinct spatial patterns. Chaozong Street shows relatively good overall connectivity and a balanced, multi-nodal distribution of population activity and functional density. Taiping Street exhibits a strong main-street orientation, with both building connections and vitality concentrated along the main street and adjacent buildings. Xiwenmiaoping is characterized by strong local connections but weaker overall connectivity, greater reliance on a few key buildings, and vitality concentrated more at the edges than in the interior. Correlation analysis indicates a certain correspondence between building network structure and building vitality, although relationships vary across indicators; direct building connections show the clearest association with population activity intensity and functional density. The study suggests that vitality in historic districts is shaped jointly by network structure, spatial organization, and functional layout, and proposes targeted strategies for conservation and revitalization.