Spatial Differentiation and Built-Environment Correlates of Street-Block Vitality in Baoding, China

The spatial differentiation of street-block vitality and its built-environment correlates provide an empirical basis for implementing refined street-block governance in the context of the renewal of existing urban areas. Based on the human–environment relationship theory, this study constructs an analytical framework of “built environment condition–street-block vitality response” and establishes a built environment indicator system based on a five-dimensional (5D) framework encompassing density, diversity, design, destination accessibility, and distance to transit. Empirically, street-block vitality is measured by the block-level average heat value derived from Baidu Huiyan data, representing the relative intensity of population activity within each street block. By integrating objective data—such as point-of-interest (POI) data and road networks—with residents’ subjective perceptions, this study employs spatial autocorrelation analysis, hot spot analysis, and multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) models to identify the spatial patterns of street-block vitality in Baoding during the observation week of 8–14 April 2024 and their local associations with built environment factors. Model performance was evaluated through model comparison, sensitivity analysis, and spatial holdout validation. The results indicated that street-block vitality exhibited significant spatial clustering. High–high clusters were primarily distributed in urban development zones and their adjacent areas in the central-eastern, northeastern, and southwestern parts of the city, whereas low–low clusters were mainly concentrated in ecological protection and ecological control zones in the western, northwestern, and northern parts of the city. The density of scenic facilities (Den_sce), facility-density principal component (PC_FAC), road network density (Den_road), and distance to the nearest public transit stop (Dist_transit) generally showed a positive association with street-block vitality, whereas satisfaction with public transit stop placement (Convenience_sat) showed a negative association. The direction of the association between satisfaction with traditional cityscape design (Style_sat) and street-block vitality varied across locations, and spatial differences were evident in the local coefficients, the spatial extent of statistical significance, and optimal bandwidths for each variable. The research findings provide empirical evidence for formulating differentiated street-block renewal strategies based on territorial spatial functional zoning, street-block vitality types, and local association patterns.