Urban garden distribution is often interpreted through urban form, yet similar spatial patterns may reflect different class power dynamics. Using the ancient city of Suzhou as a case study, this study links garden siting to social stratification mediated by transport technology. We digitised road networks from three historical maps (1229, 1636, and 1943) and geolocated 151 recorded gardens. Kernel density estimation (KDE) represented garden clustering, while line density described road morphology. Spatial Design Network Analysis (sDNA) was used to calculate Betweenness and Closeness at pedestrian (800 m), carriage (2000°m), and global scales. Associations between garden density and network attributes were tested using regression and Spearman correlation. Results reveal a northward shift of the urban core and growing east-west connectivity. Pedestrian-accessible zones expanded towards the periphery, whereas carriage-accessible zones remained concentrated, increasing mobility advantages for elites. By the 20th century, private gardens tended to avoid high through-movement streets while remaining within carriage-accessible districts, spatially supporting “tranquillity amidst hustle”. We conceptualise this process as “velocity-based stratification”: privileged mobility enabled elites to reconcile seclusion and accessibility and reproduce socio-spatial hierarchies within Suzhou's “double-chessboard” morphology.
Yun et al. (Mon,) studied this question.