Spatial patterns of mixed-use regeneration in commercial–residential buildings: Evidence from central Nanjing

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

In the era of stock-based urban development, functional restructuring within existing buildings has increasingly replaced large-scale demolition as a key mode of urban transformation. In this context, mixed-use regeneration has emerged as a prominent yet underexplored form of such restructuring, with commercial–residential buildings (CRBs) representing a typical spatial carrier. Focusing on CRBs in central Nanjing, this study develops a building-level framework to identify and characterize the current state of mixed-use regeneration and examines its spatial patterns across multiple spatial scales. The results reveal a polarized overall pattern, with most buildings exhibiting limited regeneration and a small number forming high-strength, high-mix nodes. The observed spatial pattern is characterized by urban-scale clustering and building-level independence. The spatial distribution is closely associated with the urban center system, with dominant functional types corresponding to different center functions and regeneration patterns exhibiting a structured gradient from center intensification to new-center differentiation and peripheral incubation. Overall, the observed spatial patterns reflect the combined influence of urban structure, platform-mediated organization, and different stages of urban development. By revealing the spatial patterns of mixed-use regeneration from a building-scale perspective and incorporating vertical dimensions, this study advances research on mixed-use regeneration and adaptive reuse.