Why Does the Reuse of China's Industrial Heritage Fail? Reflections Based on the Existing Official Policy Framework

Why Does the Reuse of China's Industrial Heritage Fail? Reflections Based on the Existing Official Policy Framework | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Why Does the Reuse of China's Industrial Heritage Fail? Reflections Based on the Existing Official Policy Framework Amal Zhuo Li, Sunny Han Han This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7543740/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 17 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract China's rapid industrialization has resulted in a significant volume of industrial heritage, and the preservation and adaptive reuse of this heritage have become crucial issues in urban renewal and cultural continuity. Despite substantial efforts supported by national policies, many industrial heritage reuse projects face operational challenges and fail to meet their objectives. This creates a paradox in China's industrial heritage reuse practices: while policy support continues to grow stronger, the failure rate of projects remains high. Through policy analysis and case studies, this paper systematically examines the weaknesses in China's industrial heritage reuse policy framework and the reasons behind its implementation failures. The study finds that, at the policy instrument level, the lack of specialized national regulations leads to a gap in top-level design. Provincial-level efforts are hindered by inefficiencies due to barriers in resource integration, while municipal-level implementation is constrained by a lack of diverse approaches and innovative momentum. At the level of policy objectives, conflicting goals among government, market, and societal stakeholders result in multi-layered value clashes. These clashes manifest as structural contradictions between the goals of cultural heritage preservation, economic development, social welfare, and ecological restoration In terms of full-cycle management, China's current industrial heritage policy framework exhibits significant policy gaps, leading to disconnects in critical stages such as assessment, planning, implementation, and supervision, further exacerbating the inefficiency or failure of protection and reuse efforts. Social science/Development studies Social science/Environmental studies Social science/Social policy industrial heritage reuse official policy framework policy text analysis Figures Figure 1 1.Introduction By the late 20th century, industrial cities around the world underwent spatial restructuring and industrial transformation in the wake of deindustrialization. The large-scale relocation of manufacturing facilities left behind numerous physical remnants that embody the memory of industrial civilization, leaving a lasting imprint on societies once driven by industry (Bianchini 1993 ). These industrial heritage sites have emerged as significant socio-economic assets in urban development, serving as strategic spatial resources for post-industrial urban renewal (Firth 2011 ). Faced with the decline of "Rust Belt" regions, the preservation and adaptive reuse of industrial heritage have gradually moved beyond the binary extremes of "museum-style preservation" and "demolition and reconstruction"(Battisti and Baiani 2024 ), shifting toward a value-reconstruction approach centered on functional regeneration (Añibarro, Andrade and Jiménez-Morales 2023 ). For a long time, industrial heritage has been imbued with symbolic meaning as a "site of memory," often repurposed into tourist attractions that serve as educational tools for the public to understand the history of economic production (Timothy 2017 ). Compared with traditional cultural heritage, industrial heritage has dual attributes of protection and development. Adaptive reuse to achieve the physical preservation and cultural revitalization of industrial heritage has become an important paradigm in global urban renewal practices. As one of the fastest-industrializing countries, China has entered the late stages of industrialization, driven by industrial restructuring and rapid urbanization (Huang 2013 ). The retreat of traditional industrial zones from city centers has led to an unprecedented concentration of industrial heritage resources. With the establishment of national and local industrial heritage registries, China's industrial heritage reuse has entered a phase of large-scale implementation. Various regions have actively explored innovative models, resulting in successful examples such as Shanghai’s M50 Creative Park and Shougang Park, which have become important benchmarks for heritage preservation and urban renewal. However, these successful experiences are often difficult to replicate. As policy dividends gradually fade away, many industrial heritage renovation projects are facing multiple challenges such as inaccurate functional positioning, unsustainable operations, and broken funding chains. The current cases of failed industrial heritage renewal mainly present three typical patterns. The first is functional decline due to operational failure. A prime example is the Zhang Zhidong and Wuhan Museum. Designed by renowned architect Daniel Libeskind and located on the site of the former Hanyang Iron Works, the museum underwent initial construction in 2001 and expansion in 2018. However, after closing for "upgrades" in 2021, it has remained abandoned for an extended period. Today, the museum's artifacts are scattered, its facilities are damaged, and its cultural function has been completely lost (Liu 2025 ). The second pattern involves unfinished projects during construction. During the 2018 restoration of Nanjing's Heji Foreign Firm, workers deviated from the approved conservation plan by demolishing walls and components that were required to be preserved, causing irreversible damage to the heritage structure and forcing the project to be halted. The third pattern is failure due to repeated repositioning. The redevelopment of Qingdao's No. 6 State Cotton Mill is a particularly striking case. The redevelopment of Qingdao’s No. 6 State Cotton Mill is a particularly striking case. Initially planned as the M6 Creative Industrial Park, the project underperformed and was rebranded in 2015 as a cross-border e-commerce hub (Li and Zhao 2019 ). In 2022, it was repositioned once again, this time under a Transit-Oriented Development model, with a focus on "textile culture" and the "Jiaozhou Railway" theme. These frequent shifts in vision have left the project incomplete to this day, resulting in significant resource wastage (Zhou 2025 ). The revitalization of industrial heritage represents a complex interplay between the reproduction of cultural capital and the evolution of spatial governance. Its core challenge lies in achieving a dynamic balance between preservation and adaptive reuse. Existing research highlights that systemic issues in industrial heritage reuse manifest in phase-specific ways, which can be broadly categorized into pre-renovation and post-operation problem clusters across the project lifecycle. During the pre-renovation phase, the most significant challenges include financial constraints, planning deficiencies, and institutional fragmentation. Industrial heritage projects, due to their strong public welfare focus and long investment return cycles, often struggle to secure market-driven financing. Issues include the lack of specialized financial instruments, underutilization of innovative financing methods such as trust funds, and insufficient policy support(Wang 2020 ). To bridge these funding gaps, local governments frequently rely on commercial development models(Yang, Shang and Cai 2023 ). This "culture-subsidized-by-commerce" strategy often results in arbitrary and standardized renovation plans, which ultimately undermine preservation outcomes. Planning-level problems are equally significant. Inadequate baseline assessments and a lack of innovative thinking have led to the creation of numerous culturally homogeneous creative parks (Hu and Chen 2010 ), where renewal strategies fail to effectively capture the unique essence of industrial heritage (Lin 2025 ). This results in "island effects," where developments become disconnected from their specific contexts (Zhao 2018 ), and the misguided replication of cultural templates in regions with weak industrial foundations (Liu and Guo 2022 ). Institutional fragmentation is even more pronounced. Unclear responsibilities among multiple governance entities trigger "institutional commons tragedies" (Wu and Liang ( 2025 ), while insufficient legal protections leave critical industrial heritage sites vulnerable (Zhu 2011 ). Some property owners deliberately avoid heritage designation to bypass preservation obligations (Romeo, Morezzi and Rudiero 2015 ), rendering protection responsibilities largely nominal in practice (Li, Fang and Dai 2020 ). When projects enter the operation and management phase, the dominant logic of capital introduces new contradictions. Gentrification effects become increasingly evident during spatial upgrades, as capital-driven enhancements to consumption spaces systematically exclude original communities (Lu, Chen and Long et al. 2023 ). This marginalizes non-economic considerations, such as social benefits and historical value, in decision-making, reducing industrial heritage's historical memory to a mere marketing tool for real estate development (Wang 2022). The influx of commercial capital drives up rents, creating displacement effects that force out culturally creative entities and ultimately erode the cultural essence of heritage regeneration (Huang 2018 ). While existing studies have provided multidimensional explanations for the failures in industrial heritage reuse, they have yet to address the core institutional issue of imbalanced policy instrument allocation. To truly understand China’s policy dilemmas in this area, we must examine three key structural characteristics. First, the decision-making transmission mechanism within China’s political system. China's centralized government dictates that industrial heritage reuse follows a top-down, policy-driven model. While policy formulation may involve preliminary research, expert consultations, and local reporting procedures, final decision-making power remains highly centralized at the national or provincial level. As a result, the process, direction, and outcomes of industrial heritage renewal are primarily shaped by top-level political design rather than market mechanisms or spontaneous societal forces. Second, the institutional characteristics of China’s industrial heritage ownership structure. Most industrial heritage sites are assets of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), either centrally or locally owned, where decision-making follows administrative directives rather than market logic. Governments often mobilize resources such as funding, land, and approvals through SOEs, enabling the rapid translation of policy goals into action. However, the multi-layered approval process for SOE asset disposal limits market participation, leaving many heritage sites idle as a result of policy shifts. Third, the governance model, which is characterized by strong government dominance and weak civil society participation. In industrial heritage renewal, governments control core resources such as land planning, fiscal allocations, and administrative approvals, while community organizations, nonprofits, and professional groups remain marginalized. This structure often incentivizes local governments to mechanically replicate central policy templates, neglecting local realities and pluralistic social values. In contemporary China, the question of whether industrial heritage is effectively utilized has evolved from being a narrowly defined concern within the domain of cultural heritage management to constituting a broader issue of national governance. This transformation underscores the extent to which cultural policy frameworks governing the adaptive reuse of industrial heritage are embedded within, and exert influence upon, wider processes of socio-economic development. Within this policy environment, the Xi Jinping administration has articulated a pronounced commitment to sustainable urban development. In 2019, Xi advanced the notion of the “People’s City” (人民城市), a concept underpinned by two mutually reinforcing logics. The first pertains to the structural reconfiguration of China’s growth model. The once-dominant real estate sector, which historically functioned as a principal engine of rapid economic expansion, has entered a phase of acute contraction. This is evidenced by the unprecedentedly high national housing vacancy rate(Leng, Liu ...and Shi 2025), the proliferation of idle urban properties, and the insolvency of major developers such as the Evergrande Group. As a consequence, the real estate–driven model of urban development promoted during the Jiang Zemin–Hu Jintao era has reached an apparent impasse. The second logic is derived from the administration’s prioritization of “new industrialization” and the cultivation of “new productive forces.” These are epitomized by technological advances in information and communication systems, data infrastructure, renewable energy, and artificial intelligence. The intensification of such sectors has been accompanied by the deliberate phasing out of traditional industrial production methods, thereby generating a substantial inventory of decommissioned industrial facilities and brownfield sites within urban areas. In this context, the imperative to repurpose such spaces for functions beyond conventional real estate development acquires heightened strategic salience. The political significance of this agenda was underscored in July and August 2025, when the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, under Xi’s leadership, convened two consecutive high-level meetings—the Central Urban Work Conference and a Politburo meeting—that collectively elevated “urban renewal” to an unprecedented position within the national development strategy. Within this reconfigured policy framework, the adaptive reuse of industrial heritage emerges not as a peripheral cultural concern, but as a pivotal component of sustainable urban transformation. Consequently, ensuring the effective reutilization of China’s industrial heritage necessitates a systematic re-examination of prevailing policy instruments and a critical appraisal of the structural constraints that continue to delimit their scope and effectiveness. 2. The Evolution of China's Official Policy Framework for Industrial Heritage China's official policy framework for the protection and utilization of industrial heritage operates within the broader context of national cultural heritage preservation. This system is specifically tailored to address the unique characteristics of industrial heritage, such as its complex material functions, distinct historical and technological significance, and potential for spatial transformation. It includes a range of laws, regulations, departmental rules, specialized plans, and guidelines issued by both central and local governments. The promulgation of the Wuxi Proposal in 2006 marked a pivotal moment in the history of industrial heritage preservation, as it was the first time this issue was elevated to the national cultural strategy as an independent agenda item. In the same year, the National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA) released the Notice on Strengthening the Protection of Industrial Heritage, formally recognizing industrial heritage as a category of protected cultural relics at the national level. This shift signified a transition from conceptual advocacy to institutionalized action in policy practice. During the early stages of policy development, the NCHA played a key role in driving institutional evolution through a series of phased policy interventions.This stage focused primarily on identifying industrial heritage as cultural relics and addressing emergency preservation needs, but it failed to establish an independent institutional framework for long-term protection and management. At the same time, cities with higher levels of industrialization—such as Shanghai, Beijing, Wuxi, and Huangshi—facing the dual pressures of urban spatial restructuring and industrial transformation, took the lead in pioneering institutional innovations for industrial heritage protection (see Table 1 ). However, these local initiatives displayed significant spatial disparities. Economically developed regions, with advantages in fiscal resources, technical expertise, and public awareness, were able to establish relatively comprehensive protection mechanisms. In contrast, industrial cities in central and western China, as well as resource-dependent regions, struggled with slow progress in preservation efforts due to a lack of value recognition and insufficient governance resources. Table 1 China's Industrial Heritage Protection Policy System (2006–2017) Year Policy Document 2006 Notice on Strengthening the Protection of Industrial Heritage 2006 Notice on Conducting Industrial Heritage Surveys and Protection 2007 Wuxi Industrial Heritage Survey and Identification Measures 2008 Notice on Strengthening the Protection of 20th-Century Heritage 2008 Shaanxi Industrial Heritage Survey Work Plan 2009 Guidelines for the Protection and Reuse of Industrial Heritage in Beijing 2011 Hangzhou Industrial Heritage Building Planning and Management Regulations 2013 Wuhan Industrial Heritage Protection and Utilization Plan 2014 Implementation Measures for Reactivating Idle Industrial Land (Pilot) 2014 Guidelines for the Protection and Utilization of Industrial Heritage (Draft for Comment) 2015 Shizuishan Industrial Heritage Protection and Utilization Work Plan 2014 Tianjin Industrial Heritage Protection and Utilization Plan 2016 Implementation Measures for Reactivating Idle Industrial Land 2017 Chongqing Industrial Heritage Protection and Utilization Plan 2017 Nanjing Industrial Heritage Protection Plan In 2016, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and the Ministry of Finance jointly issued the "Guidelines on Jointly Promoting the Development of Industrial Culture" , which, for the first time, identified industrial heritage as a key area for breakthrough development within industrial culture. The document explicitly called for the promotion of industrial heritage protection and utilization, outlining specific goals such as conducting surveys, establishing inventories, creating a tiered protection system, and rescuing endangered resources. From this point onward, MIIT took the lead in advancing the protection and utilization of industrial heritage. The conceptualization of industrial heritage evolved from being viewed merely as "cultural relics" to a broader understanding of "industrial cultural resources," with policy objectives shifting to achieve a dynamic balance between preservation and functional reuse. The promulgation of the "Interim Measures for the Administration of National Industrial Heritage" in 2018 (revised in 2023 as the "Measures for the Administration of National Industrial Heritage" ) represented a significant milestone in policy evolution. As a departmental regulation, it was the first to systematically establish national-level definitions of industrial heritage, identification standards, protection requirements, management procedures, and utilization guidelines. It also introduced the publication of multiple editions of the "National Industrial Heritage List" (see Table 2 ). Table 2 National-Level Industrial Heritage Policies Post-2018 Year Issuing Authority Policy Document 2018 MIIT Interim Measures for the Administration of National Industrial Heritage 2019 NCHA Standards for the Protection and Utilization of Cultural Relics (Industrial Heritage) 2020 National Development and Reform Commission, MIIT, State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, NCHA, China Development Bank, et al. Implementation Plan for Promoting the Protection and Utilization of Industrial Heritage in Old Industrial Cities 2017–2021 MIIT First Batch of National Industrial Heritage List Second Batch of National Industrial Heritage List Third Batch of National Industrial Heritage List Fourth Batch of National Industrial Heritage List Fifth Batch of National Industrial Heritage List 2018–2023 Publicity Department of China Association for Science and Technology, et al. China Industrial Heritage Protection Directory (First Batch) China Industrial Heritage Protection Directory (Second Batch) China Industrial Heritage Protection Directory (Third Batch) 2021 MIIT Implementation Plan for Promoting Industrial Culture Development (2021–2025) 2023 MIIT Measures for the Administration of National Industrial Heritage (Revised) The "Measures for the Administration of National Industrial Heritage" clearly stipulate that nominated projects must be either provincial-level industrial heritage or industrial cultural heritage belonging to central enterprises. This top-level design has facilitated rapid policy coordination between central and local governments. In response, provinces and cities have actively developed or revised corresponding management measures, implementation rules, or identification standards, aligning with the national "Measures for the Administration of National Industrial Heritage" while adapting them to local conditions. This represents a shift in China’s industrial heritage governance from fragmented, experimental approaches to a more structured and interconnected institutional system. Heritage currently in effect remains a "departmental regulation," which carries significantly less legal weight than the Cultural Relics Protection Law. Crucially, it lacks explicit provisions linking industrial heritage preservation to urban development planning, leaving no legal foundation for integrating industrial heritage into urban construction controls. This legislative gap further leads to a lack of legal support for regulatory clauses related to both the protection and utilization of industrial heritage. Additionally, the relationship between the National Industrial Heritage List, which focuses on industry-specific heritage protection, and the broader national heritage protection system remains unclear in terms of protection objectives, protected entities, and conservation methodologies (Xu 2019 ). At the provincial level, institutional inertia remains widespread. Most provinces have neither enacted regional protection regulations nor established cross-jurisdictional coordination mechanisms, resulting in a governance vacuum for trans-administrative heritage types—such as linear heritage corridors and industrial chain heritage clusters. While municipal governments have attempted to address this gap through local regulations (see Table 3 ), these laws often lack the authority of higher-level legislation and suffer from inconsistent technical standards. Table 3 Local Laws on Industrial Heritage in China Regulation Name Year Enacted Huangshi Industrial Heritage Protection Regulations 2017 Tongling Industrial Heritage Protection and Utilization Regulations 2018 Baoding Industrial Heritage Protection and Utilization Regulations 2018 Zhuzhou Industrial Heritage Protection Regulations 2018 Karamay Petroleum Industrial Heritage Protection Regulations 2019 Xingtai Industrial Heritage Protection and Utilization Regulations 2019 Chengde Industrial Heritage Protection and Utilization Regulations 2020 Tangshan Industrial Heritage Protection and Utilization Regulations 2021 Benxihu Industrial Heritage Cluster Protection Regulations 2021 Anshan Industrial Heritage Protection Regulations 2021 Fuxin Industrial Heritage Protection Regulations 2022 Zhuzhou Industrial Heritage Protection Regulations (Revised) 2022 Shizuishan Industrial Heritage Protection and Utilization Regulations 2024 Yuxi Yimen Copper Mine National Industrial Heritage Protection and Utilization Regulations 2025 3. Methodology 3.1 Data Sources China's industrial heritage policy system follows a "unified leadership, tiered management" governance model, exhibiting a hierarchical structure from central to local levels. Local governments, as the primary executors of industrial heritage protection, bear dual responsibilities of "upward accountability" (aligning with central policy directives) and "downward compatibility" (adapting to local governance needs) (Deng and Wu 2022 ). After the promulgation of the National Industrial Heritage Management Measures , provincial and municipal governments successively issued corresponding local regulations. These local policies maintain high consistency with national policies in terms of framework and content while incorporating regional adaptations. To systematically examine the hierarchical differences and regional characteristics of industrial heritage policies, this study employs a stratified sampling method: Central level: Select special policy documents issued by the State Council, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, and MIIT. Local level: Sampled four representative regions: Liaoning Province (Northeast China’s old industrial base) Hubei Province (Central China’s industrial hub) Sichuan Province (Western China’s industrial transformation case) Shanghai Municipality (Coastal industrial city model) This selection avoids redundant policy text collection while reflecting:(1)Governance logic differences between central and local levels; (2)Policy response characteristics shaped by regional industrial development stages; (3) A complete policy spectrum from traditional industrial bases to emerging industrial cities. Using the "PKULaw" database, we searched for keywords including "industrial heritage," "industrial tourism," "industrial culture," "old industrial cities," and "urban renewal." A total of 44 directly relevant policy documents were initially identified. After excluding highly repetitive or obsolete texts, 729 policy entries (national, provincial, and municipal) were retained for analysis. 3.2 Research Methods The official policy system is presented as non-quantitative textual material expressed in descriptive language, with a clear policy foundation and distinct variations based on publication contexts. To ensure that the research identifies commonalities and extracts key points from the complex and fragmented information, the content analysis method is employed. This method, combined with comparative analysis, allows for the systematic selection of content related to industrial heritage protection and utilization from the official policy framework. Nvivo software is used for coding, decomposing, and extracting specific policy content, as well as for classifying themes. In the quantitative analysis of policy texts, a common practice is to treat original policy terms as the unit of analysis, sorting and numbering the policy texts sequentially (Gao 2023 ). Additionally, the specific terms identified during the coding process will be integrated into a three-dimensional analytical framework, with the frequency of each term within each dimension being statistically analyzed. Given the multi-faceted nature of policy texts, some clauses may involve multiple policy tools or dimensions. Consequently, different types of policy tools or dimensions may be counted repeatedly during the analysis (Liu, Han and Chen 2021 ). 3.3 Three-Dimensional Analytical Framework Construction 3.3.1 X-axis: Policy Tools Dimension Policy tools are the concrete means through which policy intentions are translated into administrative actions, turning policy ideals into tangible outcomes(Chen and Xue 2007 ). For policies to be effective, they require not only authoritative and financial support but also sound implementation methods. There are various classification methods for policy tools, such as: informational, authoritative, organizational and fiscal tools(Woolthuis, Lankhuizen and Gilsing 2005); resource-based, coercive and hybrid tools(Howlett, Ramesh and Perl 2009 ); supply-side, demand-side and environmental tools(Rothwell and Zegveld 1981 ). Given that supply-side, environmental, and demand-side policy tools are among the most widely applied in contemporary Chinese policy research—particularly in policies aimed at promoting the development of emerging industries—this analytical framework has been adopted for reference in the current study (Ran and Liu 2021 ). Supply-side policy tools refer to government initiatives that directly drive industrial heritage protection and reuse through top-down approaches such as "financial support," "technical assistance," and "talent cultivation." Environmental (policy-oriented) tools involve government agencies shaping the external environment for industrial heritage protection and reuse through a combination of legal, administrative, and economic measures. This is achieved through interventions in areas such as the development of "regulatory standard systems," the establishment of "organizational safeguards and management innovations," and efforts to enhance "social recognition and cultural dissemination." Demand-side policy tools encompass government strategies that encourage market-driven approaches to industrial heritage reuse. These include "guidance and support for market-oriented utilization," "consumer guidance and market cultivation," and "public services and social participation." (see Table 4 ) Table 4 Classification of Policies for the Protection and Utilization of Industrial Heritage Policy Level Primary Classification Description Supply-side Policy Tools Financial support and incentives Establish special funds, subsidies, tax incentives, and financing mechanisms Resource Survey Conduct systematic surveys and build a standardized digital database. Planning and Project Management Develop conservation plans integrated into spatial planning; oversee projects Technical Support Set standards, fund research, digitize archives, and innovate methodologies Specialized talent cultivation Promote academic programs and vocational training. Collaboration Platforms Create information-sharing systems and cross-regional/international networks Demand-side Policy Tools Market oriented utilization guidance and support Incentivize private investment via adaptive reuse policies and branding support Public Service and Social Participation Transform sites into cultural spaces; organize education/volunteer programs Consumer guidance and market cultivation Develop heritage-themed products and tourism routes Environmental Policy Tools Regulatory standard system Multi-level legal systems and technical standards Organizational support and management innovation Interagency coordination, professional teams, and public participation Social Identity and Cultural Communication Public education, community activities, and recognition awards 3.3.2 Y-axis: Policy Objectives Dimension Policy objectives serve as the central focus for the application of policy tools and represent the foundational conditions necessary to achieve the desired outcomes and impacts in policy implementation(He and Gao 2024 ). Within public policy analysis frameworks, policy objectives exhibit multidimensional construction characteristics, requiring systematic consideration from both value rationality and instrumental rationality dimensions. As a typical cross-sectoral policy issue, industrial heritage protection demonstrates a composite objective system, which can be categorized into four aspects: cultural inheritance objectives, economic revitalization objectives, social livelihood objectives, and ecological restoration objectives(see Table 5 ). Table 5 Dimensions of Industrial Heritage Policy Objectives Policy Objectives Description Cultural inheritance objectives Material level protection Intangible level inheritance Construction of Value Interpretation System Economic revitalization objectives Activation of existing assets Extension of industrial chain Innovation space supply Social livelihood objectives Community Space Reconstruction Accumulation of social capital Fairness guarantee Ecological restoration objectives Brownfield Green technology application Ecological network construction 3.3.3 Z-axis: Management Cycle The transformation of industrial heritage requires collaboration among multiple stakeholders. However, the "silo mentality" that arises when different entities pursue their own interests, coupled with a "fragmented and disjointed" transformation process(Kirkwood and Xiao 2015 ), increases the risk of inefficiency or even failure in the renewal of underutilized sites. To address these challenges, it is crucial to adopt a whole-life-cycle perspective in the conservation and reuse of industrial heritage. According to the whole-life-cycle theory, the protection and utilization of industrial heritage can be divided into five stages: value identification and assessment, conservation planning and decision-making, transformation implementation, operational activation, and monitoring evaluation. 3.4 Three-Dimensional Analytical Framework for Industrial Heritage Reuse By integrating the three dimensions of policy instruments, policy objectives, and the whole-life-cycle of industrial heritage, a three-dimensional analytical framework for industrial heritage policies has been constructed (see Fig. 1 ). Within this framework, the application of policy instruments is thoroughly analyzed based on the X-axis (policy instruments dimension). 4.Analysis Results of Industrial Heritage Policy Texts 4.1 X-dimension Analysis of Policy Instruments The analytical results, based on text coding and frequency statistics (see Table 6 ), reveal that China's industrial heritage policy instruments exhibit distinct structural characteristics across the national, provincial, and municipal administrative levels. In terms of supply-side instruments, there is a significant imbalance in policy application, with financial support and specialized talent cultivation being relatively weak. A reverse pyramid phenomenon is observed in technical support and research & development, where national-level investments are substantial, but provincial and municipal levels show clear deficiencies. Additionally, platform development and cooperation mechanisms are particularly lacking at the municipal level. Regarding demand-side instruments, tools aimed at market-oriented utilization guidance, public service participation, and consumer market cultivation remain underrepresented. This shortfall directly limits the market-driven revitalization of industrial heritage and reduces public participation. When it comes to environmental instruments, investment in social recognition and cultural dissemination is notably insufficient. This highlights the need to enhance the communication of the cultural value of industrial heritage. Further analysis shows clear hierarchical differentiation in policy focus, with priorities shifting as the administrative levels descend. At the national level, the focus is on building a macro-framework. Provincial levels take on resource coordination and foundational work, while municipal levels concentrate on specific implementation and oversight. Table 6 Frequency of Policy Tool Dimensions Policy Tool National level (frequency) Percentage Provincial level (frequency) Percentage City level (frequency) Percentage Supply-side Policy Tools Financial support and incentives 10 4.88% 9 3.46% 9 3.45% Resource Survey 16 7.80% 41 15.77% 25 9.58% Planning and Project Management 17 8.29% 29 11.15% 26 9.96% Technical Support 16 7.80% 10 3.85% 8 3.07% Specialized talent cultivation 5 2.44% 2 0.77% 2 0.77% Collaboration Platforms 20 9.76% 19 7.31% 10 3.83% Demand-side Policy Tools Market oriented utilization guidance and support 13 6.34% 18 6.92% 14 5.36% Public Service and Social Participation 12 5.85% 17 6.54% 12 4.60% Consumer guidance and market cultivation 16 7.80% 13 5.00% 12 4.60% Environmental Policy Tools Regulatory standard system 29 14.15% 38 18.46% 58 26.44% Organizational support and management innovation 35 17.07% 44 16.92% 56 21.46% Social Identity and Cultural Communication 10 4.88% 10 3.85% 18 6.90% 4.2 Y-dimensional analysis of policy objectives The purpose of industrial heritage reuse involves multiple dimensions such as cultural inheritance, social benefits, and economic development. The policy objectives of industrial heritage reuse exhibit obvious hierarchical characteristics and cultural orientation preferences. Based on quantitative analysis of policy texts, it is found that the protection of historical and cultural values is at the core of policies at all levels. Among them, the cultural inheritance goals of provincial (63.64%) and municipal (66.53%) policies are particularly prominent, forming a rigid constraint of "cultural protection priority"; Although the goal of economic revitalization accounts for 41.87% at the national level, which is close to the goal of cultural heritage, it has shown a significant decline in policy transmission, dropping to 28.41% and 26.45% respectively at the provincial and municipal levels, reflecting the weakening trend of the economic revitalization function in grassroots practice. What is more noteworthy is that social livelihood goals are overall marginalized in the policy system, and ecological restoration goals are at an extremely low level(see Table 7 ). Table 7 Frequency of Policy Objective Dimensions Policy objectives National level (frequency) Percentage Provincial level (frequency) Percentage City level (frequency) Percentage Cultural heritage 95 46.80% 161 60.98% 149 61.57% Economic revitalization 85 41.87% 75 28.41% 64 26.45% Social livelihood 22 10.84% 20 7.58% 25 10.33% Ecological Restoration 1 0.49% 8 3.03% 3 1.24% 4.3 Analysis of the Full Life Cycle Dimensions of Industrial Heritage From the perspective of the policy system for the full life cycle management of industrial heritage, the current policy focus is clearly tilted towards protection planning and decision-making, while there is a serious lack of attention to the implementation and monitoring evaluation of transformation. Data shows that the proportion of protection planning and decision-making in national, provincial, and municipal policies is as high as 40.20%, 35.57%, and 37.55%, respectively, followed by the operational activation stage, accounting for 36.27%, 33.99%, and 34.29%, respectively. This resource allocation model has led to a "policy gap" phenomenon in the critical transformation stage of industrial heritage management from planning blueprints to implementation. At the same time, the proportion of monitoring and evaluation at all levels is very low, indicating insufficient policy support for the effectiveness feedback, risk warning, and continuous improvement of industrial heritage protection and reuse projects after implementation and operation. There is a lack of a sound monitoring and evaluation mechanism, which makes it difficult to ensure the long-term sustainable development of the projects (see Table 8 ). Table 8 Frequency of Industrial Heritage in the Whole Life Cycle Dimension life cycle National level (frequency) Percentage Provincial level (frequency) Percentage City level (frequency) Percentage Protection planning and decision-making 82 40.20% 90 35.57% 92 37.55% Value Identification and Evaluation 27 13.24% 51 20.16% 37 15.10% Renovation implementation 12 5.88% 7 2.77% 22 8.98% Operational activation 74 36.27% 86 33.99% 84 34.29% Monitoring and evaluation 9 4.41% 19 7.51% 10 4.08% 5.Analysis of Causes for Industrial Heritage Reuse Failures from a Policy Instrument Perspective An external examination of the official industrial heritage policy system through the lens of policy instruments reveals that the failure of industrial heritage reuse does not stem from a single factor, but rather results from the interplay of multidimensional elements across policy, economic, social, and cultural domains. 5.1 Policy Instrument Dimension: Incomplete Coordination Mechanism of Three-Dimensional Policy Instruments An ideal three-dimensional policy instrument system should follow a hierarchical division of labor: at the national level, the focus should be on environmental tools to lead the development of institutional frameworks; at the provincial level, supply-side tools should be prioritized to ensure precise resource allocation; and at the municipal level, demand-side tools should be strengthened to stimulate endogenous market dynamics. However, China's industrial heritage policy practice reveals several issues: at the national level, there is a gap in top-level design due to the lack of specialized regulations; at the provincial level, resource integration barriers lead to reduced allocation efficiency; and at the municipal level, the reliance on standardized implementation approaches and a lack of innovation hinder progress. Currently, the primary challenge facing China's industrial heritage conservation efforts is the lack of specialized legislation, which undermines the ability to create institutional synergy among supply-side, demand-side, and environmental policy instruments. This gap significantly impedes the effective reuse of industrial heritage. Under the existing legal framework, industrial heritage protection primarily relies on broad laws such as the Cultural Relics Protection Law and the Urban and Rural Planning Law. However, these laws exhibit considerable limitations, as their protection standards are geared toward traditional cultural relics or historic buildings, failing to address the unique historical, technical, and functional characteristics of industrial heritage. The absence of specialized protection laws leaves many industrial heritage sites outside the scope of the cultural relics protection system, making them vulnerable to demolition without legal recourse. There is a growing academic consensus that enacting a legally binding China Industrial Heritage Protection Law has become a critical priority to address these challenges. Such legislation should focus on expanding the criteria for identifying industrial heritage, establishing multi-stakeholder collaborative governance mechanisms, and designing institutional frameworks that strike a balance between preservation and development. Provincial governments play a crucial bridging role in the reuse of industrial heritage, with their primary responsibility being the precise allocation of resources through supply-side policy instruments. This role manifests in two key areas: first, translating national macro-level policies into actionable, locally tailored implementation plans; and second, coordinating various functional departments to establish cross-sectoral collaboration mechanisms. However, provincial industrial heritage policies face significant challenges in practice, particularly related to resource integration. Overlapping responsibilities and dispersed authority under multi-department management create barriers to effective resource concentration. Furthermore, the absence of robust incentive mechanisms undermines the ability of subordinate entities to achieve higher-level objectives, thus limiting the potential for more successful industrial heritage preservation and reuse initiatives. As frontline implementers of industrial heritage conservation, municipal governments operating under China's GDP-centric performance evaluation system often favor demolition and redevelopment projects that yield immediate economic benefits over long-term preservation initiatives. This systemic bias consistently subordinates heritage conservation to commercial land development priorities. In practice, local authorities typically employ rigid, standardized administrative measures—enforcing conservation through restrictive usage controls and bureaucratic approval processes. Such inflexible governance fails to accommodate diverse heritage characteristics or encourage innovative preservation approaches. 5.2 Policy Objectives Dimension: Multi-dimensional Value Conflicts and Non-synergistic Issues The conservation of industrial heritage involves balancing multiple objectives, such as preserving historical value, renewing spatial functions, generating economic benefits, and fostering community identity. Achieving these interconnected goals requires long-term, comprehensive planning and active participation from diverse stakeholders (Niu, Lau and Shen et al. 2018 ). It calls for a focus not only on economic outcomes but also on transcending economic priorities to emphasize cultural and social sustainability, striving for balance across economic, cultural, social, and environmental dimensions(Landorf 2009 ). In the context of industrial heritage regeneration, government, market, and societal actors often come with divergent objectives, leading to multi-dimensional value conflicts and lack of synergy. These challenges are most evident in the misalignment between cultural preservation, economic development, social welfare, and ecological protection goals. Cultural value constitutes the core value of industrial heritage. Although comprehensive quantitative analyses of historical, technological, artistic, and social values are conducted during the evaluation phase, these measurable protection standards often prove difficult to sustain during the implementation and operational activation stages. This manifests in two prominent issues in practice. On one hand, there is fragmentation in conservation targets. Influenced by a monument-centric preservation mindset, industrial heritage regeneration tends to focus on iconic standalone buildings while neglecting the holistic protection of surrounding industrial complexes and their environments (Liu, Huang and Zhou 2023 ). This fractures the systemic narrative of industrial heritage as a "production landscape." On the other hand, there is simplification of value objectives. Protection models driven solely by cultural preservation often result in projects that merely fulfill formal requirements like physical restoration and plaque designation, lacking synergistic designs that integrate economic and social benefits. Ultimately, these projects become static exhibition spaces devoid of vitality. Economic development is a crucial dimension of industrial heritage renewal, but it often falls into the trap of excessive commercialization. Market-driven industrialization processes, while aiming to generate economic value, frequently undermine the authenticity and cultural essence of heritage (Choay 2013 ). This contradiction permeates the entire development cycle. During the planning phase, investors often overlook the unique characteristics of industrial heritage, local cultural contexts, and the surrounding urban environment. Rushing into projects without a deep understanding of the cultural dynamics results in homogeneous cultural parks with replicated designs(Hu and Chen 2010 ). These developments struggle with poor space utilization, unsustainable operational models, and insufficient revenue to support long-term maintenance, eventually becoming inactive or even defunct(Wang, Xing and Feng 2020 ). During the renovation phase, market-driven entities, focused on short-term economic gains, often lack a comprehensive approach to conservation. They tend to demolish entire factory complexes or selectively transform only well-located industrial plots to minimize demolition costs, disregarding the surrounding residential areas and supporting infrastructure(Liu, Huang and Zhou 2023 ). This approach severely damages the systemic integrity of industrial heritage, leading to irreversible harm such as the removal of load-bearing structures and the replacement of original materials—replacing tangible records of industrial history with consumer-oriented landscapes. In the operational phase, an overemphasis on entertainment-oriented development dilutes the industrial heritage’s historical memory, while homogeneous competition erodes the uniqueness of projects. Alarmingly, the lack of long-term monitoring and evaluation systems makes it difficult to track conservation outcomes, ultimately reducing these projects to low-end rental economies, devoid of cultural and historical value(Meng and Qi 2020 ). In the social dimension, when local governments repurpose iconic industrial heritage buildings and cultural brands into tourist destinations to attract capital investment, these sites often become "disconnected from the local sense of place and the daily realities of residents who have experienced 'industrial destruction.'" (Hoekstra 2020 ). This disconnection creates challenges for industrial heritage projects in integrating with surrounding communities. Worse, excessive commercialization or exclusionary designs can lead to gentrification, displacing low-income groups and exacerbating social tensions(Lu, Chen and Long et al. 2023 ). This results in the severing of original community ties and deepens social inequalities. Environmental challenges mainly involve brownfield remediation. Industrial heritage sites are often plagued by historical pollution issues, and both governments and developers tend to prioritize commercial gains after redevelopment, viewing brownfield remediation as a costly and burdensome task (Xu, Wang and Zhao 2025 ). As a result, redevelopment efforts are often emphasized over proper environmental cleanup (Zhang 2025 ). Without mandatory ecological restoration requirements, inadequate environmental risk assessments or improper handling throughout the project lifecycle can jeopardize post-renovation environmental safety and hinder the long-term adaptability of the site for sustainable use. 5.3 Lifecycle Management Dimension: Policy Disconnects in Planning, Renovation, and Oversight The conservation and adaptive reuse of industrial heritage represents an extended lifecycle management process that spans the initial planning, mid-term renovation, and long-term operation phases. However, China's current industrial heritage policy system reveals significant disconnects between these critical stages, leading to inefficient or failed conservation and reuse outcomes. The root causes of unsuccessful industrial heritage projects often stem from the planning phase, where decisions on value assessment frameworks and functional positioning play a pivotal role in determining project viability. China's industrial heritage is marked by a high degree of typological diversity, regional disparities, and strong geographical specificity(Ji 2017 ). These characteristics contribute to cognitive biases in how value is identified and conservation priorities are set across different localities. In practice, the evaluation of industrial heritage values remains confined to standardized procedural steps (Huang 2009 ), primarily focusing on determining "which industrial heritage deserves protection". However, there is often a lack of guidance on how to transform protected heritage into usable assets, especially in terms of functional adaptability, market feasibility, economic sustainability, operational management, and environmental and social impacts. Scholars have long advocated for the inclusion of supplementary evaluations, such as "assessment of current status, conservation, and reuse value," which could better inform the selection of adaptive reuse models(Liu 2018 ). In terms of functional positioning, international experience has shown that the level of refinement in early planning is positively correlated with the success rate of the project. In the early stages of renovation, it is necessary to establish a comprehensive renovation plan from the perspective of multiple stakeholders to avoid repeated adjustments during the implementation process (Bronders, Touchant, Van, Patyn and Provoost 2008), and to fully assess factors such as regional industrial development trends, market demand, resource endowments, and special opportunities (policy opportunities, important events)( Du, Jia and Peng 2024 ). The transformation of industrial heritage is the process of converting the inherent value assessed during the early stages into usable value. However, in China's policy practice, this transformation is often treated merely as a routine urban or rural construction project, leading to a gap in the overall policy framework. From the perspective of technical requirements, the transformation of industrial heritage involves multidisciplinary knowledge such as historical building protection, structural mechanics, materials science, and sustainable development. It has extremely high technical requirements in structural transformation, material restoration, functional implantation, and intelligent management. However, existing policies have failed to effectively guide the research and application of relevant technologies, nor have they established a sound technical standard system, resulting in a lack of scientific basis for technology selection and implementation in the transformation process. Although the national level maintains a high investment intensity in common technology research and development, standard system construction, and demonstration project support, local governments have serious insufficient investment in technology transformation and application, resulting in a lack of regional technology reserves, ultimately leading to widespread risks such as quality defects, low efficiency, and even delays in transformation practices due to technological bottlenecks. What is even more alarming is that due to the lack of a comprehensive regulatory mechanism, the aforementioned technical risks often exhibit hidden and cumulative characteristics, making it difficult to identify and effectively intervene in a timely manner, and ultimately may evolve into irreversible loss of heritage value. The lack of targeted industrial support policies, tax incentives, financial services, and other mechanisms in some regions poses a significant challenge for operators. Without suitable profit models and the ability to attract and retain high-quality commercial resources, industrial heritage reuse struggles to remain financially viable. Once the initial policy benefits or "dividends" dissipate, the absence of sustained policy support and market cultivation makes it difficult for operations to continue, often leading to abandonment or mismanagement. This, in turn, results in industrial heritage falling into neglect once again. A deeper issue lies in the failure of the evaluation and feedback mechanisms within the policy framework. The reuse of industrial heritage is inherently a continuously evolving, complex adaptive system(Tian, Zhang and Wang et al. 2016 ). However, the current policy structure lacks a dynamic monitoring system that can track the full lifecycle of these projects. Without systematic monitoring and evaluation, it becomes impossible to effectively assess key aspects such as policy effectiveness, economic sustainability, social impact, and environmental risks. This oversight gap hinders the ability to make informed adjustments or improvements, undermining the long-term success of industrial heritage preservation and reuse initiatives. 6. Conclusion Based on an analysis of the correlation between failed industrial heritage reuse cases in China and the existing official policy framework, this study reveals that the root cause of these failures lies in the structural deficiencies within the policy system. Specifically, policy goals are overly focused on short-term economic benefits, leading to the systematic marginalization of cultural protection and ecological restoration priorities. Furthermore, the policy tools in place are ineffective: regulatory mechanisms fail to prevent destructive transformation practices, incentive measures are poorly aligned with the long-term sustainability of operations, and cross-departmental collaboration remains weak, resulting in a regulatory vacuum. Additionally, the absence of a dynamic monitoring and post-evaluation system that spans the entire lifecycle of industrial heritage projects leads to the ineffective maintenance of core aspects, such as cultural integrity and environmental safety. These policy shortcomings have contributed to the erosion of the core values of industrial heritage, exacerbated by the lack of proper market guidance and constraints. Ultimately, this has led to failures such as the loss of industrial context, homogeneous development, unsustainable operations, and inadequate environmental risk management. It is clear that China's industrial heritage protection policy system requires fundamental reform. From a value perspective, there is an urgent need to establish a comprehensive "sustainable development" goal. In terms of institutional development, the formulation of dedicated regulations for industrial heritage is crucial to clarify the boundaries of protection, innovate incentive mechanisms that promote cultural innovation and green technologies, and create a cross-departmental governance platform to break down administrative silos. Mechanism-wise, a robust evaluation system must be established to monitor every stage—from planning and transformation to operation—ensuring that cultural and environmental risks are assessed in advance. Independent third-party process monitoring, post-project evaluations focused on maintaining value and ensuring environmental safety, and the incorporation of expert consultation and public participation will all enhance the scientific rigor of decision-making. Only through comprehensive policy reform and restructuring can the current dilemma surrounding industrial heritage reuse be overcome, transforming it into a sustainable practice that preserves historical memory, fosters ecological restoration, and revitalizes urban life. It is equally important to recognize that municipal governments, as the primary agents of policy implementation, continue to rely heavily on conventional economic development pathways—most notably real estate, including commercial property development—as a means of stimulating local economic growth. This dependence persists despite the increasing structural limitations and declining efficacy of such strategies in the present economic climate. By contrast, the adaptive reuse of industrial heritage remains a relatively nascent concept within the Chinese policy landscape and faces persistent challenges in demonstrating its capacity to serve as a viable engine for local economic revitalization. Compared with the mature and well-institutionalized real estate sector, the mechanisms through which industrial heritage reuse can generate economic value, create employment opportunities, and foster community regeneration are less clearly defined. Although a number of successful cases and a growing body of theoretical research attest to its potential, these have yet to coalesce into a replicable and sustainably effective model applicable at the national scale. Consequently, given the entrenched reliance of municipal administrations on high-intensity development trajectories and deeply ingrained modes of economic thinking, it is unrealistic to expect industrial heritage reuse to fully supplant the real estate sector in the short term. Nonetheless, even partial substitution would carry significant implications. Considering both the vast scale of China’s economy and the substantial stock of extant industrial heritage, the reallocation of even a seemingly marginal proportion of development efforts toward adaptive reuse would constitute an experiment of considerable magnitude in practical terms. Declarations Conflict of interest The authors declare they have no competing interests. Ethical approval This article does not contain any studies with human participants performed by any of Informed consent This article does not contain any studies with human participants performed by any of Funding None. Author Contribution A and S wrote the main text and A created Figures 1 and Table 1-8. All authors participated in reviewing the manuscript. Acknowledgments None. Data availability The data used in this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. References Añibarro MV, Andrade MJ, Jiménez-Morales E (2023) A multicriteria approach to adaptive reuse of industrial heritage: Case studies of riverside power plants. Land 12:314. https://doi.org/10.3390/land12020314 Battisti A, Baiani S (2024) ETHICS: Endorse Technologies for Heritage Innovation, vol 280. Springer, Cham, Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-50121-0 Bianchini F (1993) Remaking European cities: the role of cultural policies. Cultural policy and urban regeneration: The West European experience, p 1–20 Bronders J, Touchant K, Van Keer I, Patyn J, Provoost J (2008) A risk management plan for the redevelopment of a Brownfield: an example. ConSoil 2008: Theme F-Sustainable & risk based land management, p 47–54 Chen Z, Xue L (2007) Key areas and themes of theoretical research in Chinese public administration. Social Sci China (3):140–152, 206 Choay F (2013) The allegory of architectural heritage (Q. Kou, Trans). Tsinghua University, p 125 Deng S, Wu Y (2022) Quantitative analysis of local government data security governance policies: A three dimensional analysis framework based on 'tools target process'. J Beihang Univ (Social Sci Ed 1–17. https://doi.org/10.13766/j.bhsk.1008-2204.2024.1481 Du Q, Jia W, Peng J (2024) Research on the 'industrial renewal' model for reusing industrial remains: A case study of Beijing Shougang Park. China Anc City 38:10–14 Firth TM (2011) Tourism as a means to industrial heritage conservation: Achilles heel or saving grace? J Herit Tourism 6:45–62. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743873X.2010.536233 Gao G (2023) A study on the policy texts of urban employees' basic pension insurance: A three-dimensional analytical framework of policy tools, objectives, and actors. J Beijing Univ Aeronaut Astronaut (Social Sci Edition) 36:133–142 He J, Gao W (2024) The 'three-dimensional embedded' supply logic of public service data governance policies: A quantitative analysis of 'tools-content-objectives'. Changbai J (3):44–57 Hoekstra MS (2020) Iconic architecture and middle-class politics of memory in a deindustrialized city. Sociology 54:693–710. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038038520906772 Howlett M, Ramesh M, Perl A (2009) Studying public policy: Policy cycles and policy subsystems, vol 3. Oxford University Press Hu H, Chen X (2010) Critical reviews of China's cultural industries, vol 12. Shanghai People’s Publishing House, p 121 Huang M (2009) Value assessment and documentation of cultural heritage. Fudan University, p 69 Huang Q (2013) China’s industrialization process: Stages, characteristics, and prospects. Econ Manage 27(7):5–11 Huang Y (2018) The rebirth of old urban communities: A Shanghai case study. Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, p p100 Ji H (2017) The evolution of international industrial heritage conservation concepts after the Nizhny Tagil Charter: Case studies of the Dublin Principles and Taipei Asian Industrial Heritage Declaration. New Archit (5):74–77 Kirkwood N, Xiao L (2015) A comprehensive view of brownfields. Chin Landsc Archit 31(4):5–9 Landorf C (2009) A framework for sustainable heritage management: A study of UK industrial heritage sites. Int J Herit Stud 15:494–510. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527250903210795 Leng W, Liu G, Cheng X et al (2025) Scaling of urban residential building stock system and carbon emissions accounting for vacant houses in China. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 223:108502 Li F, Zhao L (2019) Reflections on the transformation of industrial heritage into creative industrial parks: A case study of Qingdao's 6 State Cotton Mill. Chin Overseas Archit 147–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.19940/j.cnki.1008-0422.2019.01.010 Li R, Fang H, Dai M (2020) Industrial heritage preservation from a stakeholder game theory perspective: Realities and solutions. China Collective Econ (11):18–19 Lin Q (2025) How can industrial heritage become the 'cultural engine' of urban renewal? Study Times 6 Liu B (2018) New perspectives on the scientific and technological value of China's industrial heritage. Industrial Constr 48(8):1–760 Liu D (2025) May 28 Zhang Zhidong and Wuhan Museum: Four years of 'upgrades' without progress, left to decay—Who is responsible? Sohu News . https://news.sohu.com/a/899540359_121248145 . Accessed 22 July 2025 Liu G, Han W, Chen A (2021) Quantitative research on public health emergency response policies based on a three-dimensional analytical framework: A case study of COVID-19. Mod Inform 41(7):13–26 Liu N, Huang J, Zhou J (2023) Planning strategies for industrial heritage conservation in urban centers: A case study of the old Huaxin Cement Factory site in Huangshi, Hubei. Planners 39(2):117–124 Liu X, Guo J (2022) Value-oriented adaptive reuse of industrial heritage in urban renewal contexts. Urban Dev Stud 29(5):80–85 Lu S, Chen L, Long C et al (2023) Tourism gentrification in suburban traditional villages: Shanghai's Zhujiajiao case study. Acta Geogr Sin 78(10):2535–2553 Meng F, Qi C (2020) Review, reflection, and insights on the conservation and reuse of Beijing's industrial heritage. Industrial Constr 50(3):151–155 Niu S, Lau SSY, Shen Z et al (2018) Sustainability issues in the industrial heritage adaptive reuse: Rethinking culture-led urban regeneration through Chinese case studies. J Housing Built Environ 33:501–518. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10901-018-9614-5 Ran A, Liu J (2021) Research on the policy system for old residential area renovation from a policy tools perspective: A case study of Beijing. Urban Dev Stud 28(4):57–63 Romeo E, Morezzi E, Rudiero R (2015) Industrial heritage: Reflections on the use compatibility of cultural sustainability and energy efficiency. Energy Procedia 78:1305–1310. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2015.11.145 Rothwell R, Zegveld W (1981) Industrial innovation and public policy. Praeger, p 251 Tian Y, Zhang L, Wang J et al (2016) Dynamic assessment of industrial heritage regeneration effects: Case study of 'Hanyang Made' creative park. New Archit (3):14–18 Timothy DJ (2017) The heritage tourist experience: Critical essays, volume two. Routledge, pp 3. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315239248 Wang N, Xing C, Feng Y (2020) How to achieve quality and sustainability in urban industrial heritage regeneration. China City News 4 Wang Z (2020) Domestic and international experiences in financial support for industrial heritage preservation and utilization. Bank (2):98–101 Wu T, Liang X (2025) Mechanisms of industrial heritage protection failure through the lens of commons tragedy theory: A Guangzhou case study. Urban Dev Stud 32(5):77–83 Xu S, Wang N, Zhao Z (2025) A brief discussion on domestic and international research on brownfield remediation of urban industrial heritage. Contemp Archit (2):50–56 Xu T (2019) Differentiation between industry-specific heritage and traditional cultural relics protection: A case study of 'National Industrial Heritage'. In Proceedings of the 2019 Annual Conference of the Architectural History Branch of the Architectural Society of China (Volume II), pp 64–70. Beijing Forestry University School of Landscape Architecture. https://doi.org/10.26914/c.cnkihy.2019.043696 Yang C, Shang L, Cai E (2023) Research on urban renewal and landscape architecture design. Jilin Science and Technology, p 136 Zhang J (2025) Culture-green integration: Theories, technologies and practices in the conservation and renewal of China's urban old districts. Contemp Archit 27–206. https://doi.org/10.20268/j.cnki.ISSN2096-8051.20252101 Zhao X (2018) Catalyst theory applied to industrial heritage preservation and renewal. Northwest University, p 18 Zhou J (2025) Century-old 6 State Cotton Mill: 'New era' wavers in TOD model. Qingdao Dly 4 Zhu Q (2011) Conservation of Industrial Heritage in Transformation of Industrial City for Sustainable Development. 47th ISOCARP Congress, Wuhan Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 11 Nov, 2025 Reviews received at journal 27 Oct, 2025 Reviews received at journal 25 Oct, 2025 Reviews received at journal 23 Oct, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 11 Oct, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 10 Oct, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 10 Oct, 2025 Reviews received at journal 10 Oct, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 10 Oct, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 09 Oct, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 09 Oct, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 09 Oct, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 09 Oct, 2025 Editor invited by journal 26 Sep, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 24 Sep, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 06 Sep, 2025 First submitted to journal 05 Sep, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7543740","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":531855802,"identity":"4c1505cc-9f01-4bc2-805d-8730d4269270","order_by":0,"name":"Amal Zhuo Li","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Shanghai Jiao Tong University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Amal","middleName":"Zhuo","lastName":"Li","suffix":""},{"id":531855803,"identity":"e6d3085e-2277-4a33-b03c-f5547763527c","order_by":1,"name":"Sunny Han Han","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAz0lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACAwYGNiDFxsPPwAPiMxOthU9GsoFELXI2BgeI1WLOfvbYg587zHiMb+Qek2CosE5sYD97AK8Wy568dMPeM2k8Zjfy0iQYzqQnNvDkJeB32IEcMwnetmM8ZreBDMa2w4kNEjwG+LWcf2Mm+bftP4/xbJCWf8RouZFjJs3bxsZjIA3S0kCUljdm0rJALRL33xhbJBxLN27jySHksBwzybdtbPb8PWcMb3yosZbtZz+DXwsqSGCARNMoGAWjYBSMAgoBAFm4Pfr8ru8CAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"Wuhan University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Sunny","middleName":"Han","lastName":"Han","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-09-05 11:23:24","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7543740/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7543740/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":94236665,"identity":"cc472da8-ddde-413c-b42a-6810f2ab7c34","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-24 02:15:37","extension":"docx","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":136089,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"WhyDoestheReuseofChinasIndustrialHeritageFailReflectionsBasedontheExistingOfficialPolicyFramework.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7543740/v1/dde218278271aaf171705e95.docx"},{"id":94236662,"identity":"a91cddd4-bdab-4de0-9405-6687f9e829ce","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-24 02:15:37","extension":"json","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":4294,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"2381d423f34541a3a23fb00a990e075c.json","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7543740/v1/9f7e48b50e8fa320ca535e7e.json"},{"id":94236667,"identity":"d204c681-31cd-4aa1-a499-1e54bb909d28","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-24 02:15:37","extension":"xml","order_by":2,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":142743,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"2381d423f34541a3a23fb00a990e075c1enriched.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7543740/v1/80e7f7986043ec1c6889a77c.xml"},{"id":94237260,"identity":"d4d32d76-8d40-4854-a835-cec81fbcbdab","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-24 02:23:37","extension":"png","order_by":4,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":54071,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7543740/v1/5aa519cbfce3e4252749b237.png"},{"id":94236666,"identity":"97aa70b9-960a-46ce-adb7-a1a27fbc33c6","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-24 02:15:37","extension":"xml","order_by":5,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":141308,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"2381d423f34541a3a23fb00a990e075c1structuring.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7543740/v1/55e4fb4b0d723223b2e2bfbf.xml"},{"id":94236668,"identity":"db926a57-ce73-4bcb-ac9f-c97257903d95","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-24 02:15:37","extension":"html","order_by":6,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":145397,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"earlyproof.html","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7543740/v1/cb5e4b2820287e8b9bd44109.html"},{"id":94236664,"identity":"77f075ab-da84-42d1-a6a5-197a5d7fc0f3","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-24 02:15:37","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":54095,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eThree dimensional analysis framework for industrial heritage reuse policies\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7543740/v1/f9db977a3cbdb962c0da6120.png"},{"id":94237504,"identity":"6493e6d9-2033-4a1b-903e-2e6b8c22e0d8","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-24 02:31:37","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1363126,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7543740/v1/dd728eff-54a2-496b-8965-0f4131f4b8b6.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Why Does the Reuse of China's Industrial Heritage Fail? Reflections Based on the Existing Official Policy Framework","fulltext":[{"header":"1.Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eBy the late 20th century, industrial cities around the world underwent spatial restructuring and industrial transformation in the wake of deindustrialization. The large-scale relocation of manufacturing facilities left behind numerous physical remnants that embody the memory of industrial civilization, leaving a lasting imprint on societies once driven by industry (Bianchini \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1993\u003c/span\u003e). These industrial heritage sites have emerged as significant socio-economic assets in urban development, serving as strategic spatial resources for post-industrial urban renewal (Firth \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e). Faced with the decline of \"Rust Belt\" regions, the preservation and adaptive reuse of industrial heritage have gradually moved beyond the binary extremes of \"museum-style preservation\" and \"demolition and reconstruction\"(Battisti and Baiani \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e), shifting toward a value-reconstruction approach centered on functional regeneration (A\u0026ntilde;ibarro, Andrade and Jim\u0026eacute;nez-Morales \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor a long time, industrial heritage has been imbued with symbolic meaning as a \"site of memory,\" often repurposed into tourist attractions that serve as educational tools for the public to understand the history of economic production (Timothy \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e). Compared with traditional cultural heritage, industrial heritage has dual attributes of protection and development. Adaptive reuse to achieve the physical preservation and cultural revitalization of industrial heritage has become an important paradigm in global urban renewal practices.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs one of the fastest-industrializing countries, China has entered the late stages of industrialization, driven by industrial restructuring and rapid urbanization (Huang \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e). The retreat of traditional industrial zones from city centers has led to an unprecedented concentration of industrial heritage resources. With the establishment of national and local industrial heritage registries, China's industrial heritage reuse has entered a phase of large-scale implementation. Various regions have actively explored innovative models, resulting in successful examples such as Shanghai\u0026rsquo;s M50 Creative Park and Shougang Park, which have become important benchmarks for heritage preservation and urban renewal.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHowever, these successful experiences are often difficult to replicate. As policy dividends gradually fade away, many industrial heritage renovation projects are facing multiple challenges such as inaccurate functional positioning, unsustainable operations, and broken funding chains. The current cases of failed industrial heritage renewal mainly present three typical patterns. The first is functional decline due to operational failure. A prime example is the Zhang Zhidong and Wuhan Museum. Designed by renowned architect Daniel Libeskind and located on the site of the former Hanyang Iron Works, the museum underwent initial construction in 2001 and expansion in 2018. However, after closing for \"upgrades\" in 2021, it has remained abandoned for an extended period. Today, the museum's artifacts are scattered, its facilities are damaged, and its cultural function has been completely lost (Liu \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e). The second pattern involves unfinished projects during construction. During the 2018 restoration of Nanjing's Heji Foreign Firm, workers deviated from the approved conservation plan by demolishing walls and components that were required to be preserved, causing irreversible damage to the heritage structure and forcing the project to be halted. The third pattern is failure due to repeated repositioning. The redevelopment of Qingdao's No. 6 State Cotton Mill is a particularly striking case. The redevelopment of Qingdao\u0026rsquo;s No. 6 State Cotton Mill is a particularly striking case. Initially planned as the M6 Creative Industrial Park, the project underperformed and was rebranded in 2015 as a cross-border e-commerce hub (Li and Zhao \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e). In 2022, it was repositioned once again, this time under a Transit-Oriented Development model, with a focus on \"textile culture\" and the \"Jiaozhou Railway\" theme. These frequent shifts in vision have left the project incomplete to this day, resulting in significant resource wastage (Zhou \u003cspan citationid=\"CR46\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe revitalization of industrial heritage represents a complex interplay between the reproduction of cultural capital and the evolution of spatial governance. Its core challenge lies in achieving a dynamic balance between preservation and adaptive reuse. Existing research highlights that systemic issues in industrial heritage reuse manifest in phase-specific ways, which can be broadly categorized into pre-renovation and post-operation problem clusters across the project lifecycle.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDuring the pre-renovation phase, the most significant challenges include financial constraints, planning deficiencies, and institutional fragmentation. Industrial heritage projects, due to their strong public welfare focus and long investment return cycles, often struggle to secure market-driven financing. Issues include the lack of specialized financial instruments, underutilization of innovative financing methods such as trust funds, and insufficient policy support(Wang \u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). To bridge these funding gaps, local governments frequently rely on commercial development models(Yang, Shang and Cai \u003cspan citationid=\"CR43\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). This \"culture-subsidized-by-commerce\" strategy often results in arbitrary and standardized renovation plans, which ultimately undermine preservation outcomes.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlanning-level problems are equally significant. Inadequate baseline assessments and a lack of innovative thinking have led to the creation of numerous culturally homogeneous creative parks (Hu and Chen \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2010\u003c/span\u003e), where renewal strategies fail to effectively capture the unique essence of industrial heritage (Lin \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e). This results in \"island effects,\" where developments become disconnected from their specific contexts (Zhao \u003cspan citationid=\"CR45\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e), and the misguided replication of cultural templates in regions with weak industrial foundations (Liu and Guo \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). Institutional fragmentation is even more pronounced. Unclear responsibilities among multiple governance entities trigger \"institutional commons tragedies\" (Wu and Liang (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e), while insufficient legal protections leave critical industrial heritage sites vulnerable (Zhu \u003cspan citationid=\"CR47\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e). Some property owners deliberately avoid heritage designation to bypass preservation obligations (Romeo, Morezzi and Rudiero \u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e), rendering protection responsibilities largely nominal in practice (Li, Fang and Dai \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen projects enter the operation and management phase, the dominant logic of capital introduces new contradictions. Gentrification effects become increasingly evident during spatial upgrades, as capital-driven enhancements to consumption spaces systematically exclude original communities (Lu, Chen and Long et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). This marginalizes non-economic considerations, such as social benefits and historical value, in decision-making, reducing industrial heritage's historical memory to a mere marketing tool for real estate development (Wang 2022). The influx of commercial capital drives up rents, creating displacement effects that force out culturally creative entities and ultimately erode the cultural essence of heritage regeneration (Huang \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhile existing studies have provided multidimensional explanations for the failures in industrial heritage reuse, they have yet to address the core institutional issue of imbalanced policy instrument allocation. To truly understand China\u0026rsquo;s policy dilemmas in this area, we must examine three key structural characteristics. First, the decision-making transmission mechanism within China\u0026rsquo;s political system. China's centralized government dictates that industrial heritage reuse follows a top-down, policy-driven model. While policy formulation may involve preliminary research, expert consultations, and local reporting procedures, final decision-making power remains highly centralized at the national or provincial level. As a result, the process, direction, and outcomes of industrial heritage renewal are primarily shaped by top-level political design rather than market mechanisms or spontaneous societal forces. Second, the institutional characteristics of China\u0026rsquo;s industrial heritage ownership structure. Most industrial heritage sites are assets of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), either centrally or locally owned, where decision-making follows administrative directives rather than market logic. Governments often mobilize resources such as funding, land, and approvals through SOEs, enabling the rapid translation of policy goals into action. However, the multi-layered approval process for SOE asset disposal limits market participation, leaving many heritage sites idle as a result of policy shifts. Third, the governance model, which is characterized by strong government dominance and weak civil society participation. In industrial heritage renewal, governments control core resources such as land planning, fiscal allocations, and administrative approvals, while community organizations, nonprofits, and professional groups remain marginalized. This structure often incentivizes local governments to mechanically replicate central policy templates, neglecting local realities and pluralistic social values.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn contemporary China, the question of whether industrial heritage is effectively utilized has evolved from being a narrowly defined concern within the domain of cultural heritage management to constituting a broader issue of national governance. This transformation underscores the extent to which cultural policy frameworks governing the adaptive reuse of industrial heritage are embedded within, and exert influence upon, wider processes of socio-economic development.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWithin this policy environment, the Xi Jinping administration has articulated a pronounced commitment to sustainable urban development. In 2019, Xi advanced the notion of the \u0026ldquo;People\u0026rsquo;s City\u0026rdquo; (人民城市), a concept underpinned by two mutually reinforcing logics. The first pertains to the structural reconfiguration of China\u0026rsquo;s growth model. The once-dominant real estate sector, which historically functioned as a principal engine of rapid economic expansion, has entered a phase of acute contraction. This is evidenced by the unprecedentedly high national housing vacancy rate(Leng, Liu ...and Shi 2025), the proliferation of idle urban properties, and the insolvency of major developers such as the Evergrande Group. As a consequence, the real estate\u0026ndash;driven model of urban development promoted during the Jiang Zemin\u0026ndash;Hu Jintao era has reached an apparent impasse.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe second logic is derived from the administration\u0026rsquo;s prioritization of \u0026ldquo;new industrialization\u0026rdquo; and the cultivation of \u0026ldquo;new productive forces.\u0026rdquo; These are epitomized by technological advances in information and communication systems, data infrastructure, renewable energy, and artificial intelligence. The intensification of such sectors has been accompanied by the deliberate phasing out of traditional industrial production methods, thereby generating a substantial inventory of decommissioned industrial facilities and brownfield sites within urban areas. In this context, the imperative to repurpose such spaces for functions beyond conventional real estate development acquires heightened strategic salience.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe political significance of this agenda was underscored in July and August 2025, when the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, under Xi\u0026rsquo;s leadership, convened two consecutive high-level meetings\u0026mdash;the Central Urban Work Conference and a Politburo meeting\u0026mdash;that collectively elevated \u0026ldquo;urban renewal\u0026rdquo; to an unprecedented position within the national development strategy. Within this reconfigured policy framework, the adaptive reuse of industrial heritage emerges not as a peripheral cultural concern, but as a pivotal component of sustainable urban transformation. Consequently, ensuring the effective reutilization of China\u0026rsquo;s industrial heritage necessitates a systematic re-examination of prevailing policy instruments and a critical appraisal of the structural constraints that continue to delimit their scope and effectiveness.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"2. The Evolution of China's Official Policy Framework for Industrial Heritage","content":"\u003cp\u003eChina's official policy framework for the protection and utilization of industrial heritage operates within the broader context of national cultural heritage preservation. This system is specifically tailored to address the unique characteristics of industrial heritage, such as its complex material functions, distinct historical and technological significance, and potential for spatial transformation. It includes a range of laws, regulations, departmental rules, specialized plans, and guidelines issued by both central and local governments.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe promulgation of the Wuxi Proposal in 2006 marked a pivotal moment in the history of industrial heritage preservation, as it was the first time this issue was elevated to the national cultural strategy as an independent agenda item. In the same year, the National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA) released the Notice on Strengthening the Protection of Industrial Heritage, formally recognizing industrial heritage as a category of protected cultural relics at the national level. This shift signified a transition from conceptual advocacy to institutionalized action in policy practice.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDuring the early stages of policy development, the NCHA played a key role in driving institutional evolution through a series of phased policy interventions.This stage focused primarily on identifying industrial heritage as cultural relics and addressing emergency preservation needs, but it failed to establish an independent institutional framework for long-term protection and management. At the same time, cities with higher levels of industrialization\u0026mdash;such as Shanghai, Beijing, Wuxi, and Huangshi\u0026mdash;facing the dual pressures of urban spatial restructuring and industrial transformation, took the lead in pioneering institutional innovations for industrial heritage protection (see Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). However, these local initiatives displayed significant spatial disparities. Economically developed regions, with advantages in fiscal resources, technical expertise, and public awareness, were able to establish relatively comprehensive protection mechanisms. In contrast, industrial cities in central and western China, as well as resource-dependent regions, struggled with slow progress in preservation efforts due to a lack of value recognition and insufficient governance resources.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eChina's Industrial Heritage Protection Policy System (2006\u0026ndash;2017)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"2\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYear\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePolicy Document\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2006\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNotice on Strengthening the Protection of Industrial Heritage\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2006\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNotice on Conducting Industrial Heritage Surveys and Protection\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2007\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWuxi Industrial Heritage Survey and Identification Measures\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2008\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNotice on Strengthening the Protection of 20th-Century Heritage\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2008\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eShaanxi Industrial Heritage Survey Work Plan\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2009\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGuidelines for the Protection and Reuse of Industrial Heritage in Beijing\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2011\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHangzhou Industrial Heritage Building Planning and Management Regulations\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2013\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWuhan Industrial Heritage Protection and Utilization Plan\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2014\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eImplementation Measures for Reactivating Idle Industrial Land (Pilot)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2014\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGuidelines for the Protection and Utilization of Industrial Heritage (Draft for Comment)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2015\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eShizuishan Industrial Heritage Protection and Utilization Work Plan\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2014\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTianjin Industrial Heritage Protection and Utilization Plan\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2016\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eImplementation Measures for Reactivating Idle Industrial Land\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2017\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eChongqing Industrial Heritage Protection and Utilization Plan\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2017\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNanjing Industrial Heritage Protection Plan\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn 2016, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and the Ministry of Finance jointly issued the \u003cem\u003e\"Guidelines on Jointly Promoting the Development of Industrial Culture\"\u003c/em\u003e, which, for the first time, identified industrial heritage as a key area for breakthrough development within industrial culture. The document explicitly called for the promotion of industrial heritage protection and utilization, outlining specific goals such as conducting surveys, establishing inventories, creating a tiered protection system, and rescuing endangered resources.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom this point onward, MIIT took the lead in advancing the protection and utilization of industrial heritage. The conceptualization of industrial heritage evolved from being viewed merely as \"cultural relics\" to a broader understanding of \"industrial cultural resources,\" with policy objectives shifting to achieve a dynamic balance between preservation and functional reuse.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe promulgation of the \u003cem\u003e\"Interim Measures for the Administration of National Industrial Heritage\"\u003c/em\u003e in 2018 (revised in 2023 as the \u003cem\u003e\"Measures for the Administration of National Industrial Heritage\"\u003c/em\u003e) represented a significant milestone in policy evolution. As a departmental regulation, it was the first to systematically establish national-level definitions of industrial heritage, identification standards, protection requirements, management procedures, and utilization guidelines. It also introduced the publication of multiple editions of the \u003cem\u003e\"National Industrial Heritage List\"\u003c/em\u003e (see Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNational-Level Industrial Heritage Policies Post-2018\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYear\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIssuing Authority\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePolicy Document\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2018\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMIIT\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eInterim Measures for the Administration of National Industrial Heritage\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2019\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNCHA\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eStandards for the Protection and Utilization of Cultural Relics (Industrial Heritage)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2020\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNational Development and Reform Commission, MIIT, State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, NCHA, China Development Bank, et al.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eImplementation Plan for Promoting the Protection and Utilization of Industrial Heritage in Old Industrial Cities\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2017\u0026ndash;2021\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMIIT\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFirst Batch of National Industrial Heritage List\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSecond Batch of National Industrial Heritage List\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThird Batch of National Industrial Heritage List\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFourth Batch of National Industrial Heritage List\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFifth Batch of National Industrial Heritage List\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2018\u0026ndash;2023\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePublicity Department of China Association for Science and Technology, et al.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eChina Industrial Heritage Protection Directory (First Batch)\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eChina Industrial Heritage Protection Directory (Second Batch)\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eChina Industrial Heritage Protection Directory (Third Batch)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2021\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMIIT\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eImplementation Plan for Promoting Industrial Culture Development (2021\u0026ndash;2025)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2023\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMIIT\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMeasures for the Administration of National Industrial Heritage (Revised)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003e\"Measures for the Administration of National Industrial Heritage\"\u003c/em\u003e clearly stipulate that nominated projects must be either provincial-level industrial heritage or industrial cultural heritage belonging to central enterprises. This top-level design has facilitated rapid policy coordination between central and local governments. In response, provinces and cities have actively developed or revised corresponding management measures, implementation rules, or identification standards, aligning with the national \u003cem\u003e\"Measures for the Administration of National Industrial Heritage\"\u003c/em\u003e while adapting them to local conditions. This represents a shift in China\u0026rsquo;s industrial heritage governance from fragmented, experimental approaches to a more structured and interconnected institutional system.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHeritage currently in effect remains a \"departmental regulation,\" which carries significantly less legal weight than the Cultural Relics Protection Law. Crucially, it lacks explicit provisions linking industrial heritage preservation to urban development planning, leaving no legal foundation for integrating industrial heritage into urban construction controls. This legislative gap further leads to a lack of legal support for regulatory clauses related to both the protection and utilization of industrial heritage. Additionally, the relationship between the National Industrial Heritage List, which focuses on industry-specific heritage protection, and the broader national heritage protection system remains unclear in terms of protection objectives, protected entities, and conservation methodologies (Xu \u003cspan citationid=\"CR42\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt the provincial level, institutional inertia remains widespread. Most provinces have neither enacted regional protection regulations nor established cross-jurisdictional coordination mechanisms, resulting in a governance vacuum for trans-administrative heritage types\u0026mdash;such as linear heritage corridors and industrial chain heritage clusters. While municipal governments have attempted to address this gap through local regulations (see Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e), these laws often lack the authority of higher-level legislation and suffer from inconsistent technical standards.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLocal Laws on Industrial Heritage in China\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"2\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRegulation Name\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYear Enacted\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHuangshi Industrial Heritage Protection Regulations\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2017\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTongling Industrial Heritage Protection and Utilization Regulations\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2018\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eBaoding Industrial Heritage Protection and Utilization Regulations\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2018\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eZhuzhou Industrial Heritage Protection Regulations\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2018\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eKaramay Petroleum Industrial Heritage Protection Regulations\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2019\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eXingtai Industrial Heritage Protection and Utilization Regulations\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2019\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eChengde Industrial Heritage Protection and Utilization Regulations\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2020\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTangshan Industrial Heritage Protection and Utilization Regulations\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2021\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eBenxihu Industrial Heritage Cluster Protection Regulations\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2021\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnshan Industrial Heritage Protection Regulations\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2021\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFuxin Industrial Heritage Protection Regulations\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2022\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eZhuzhou Industrial Heritage Protection Regulations (Revised)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2022\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eShizuishan Industrial Heritage Protection and Utilization Regulations\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2024\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYuxi Yimen Copper Mine National Industrial Heritage Protection and Utilization Regulations\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2025\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"3. Methodology","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.1 Data Sources\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eChina's industrial heritage policy system follows a \"unified leadership, tiered management\" governance model, exhibiting a hierarchical structure from central to local levels. Local governments, as the primary executors of industrial heritage protection, bear dual responsibilities of \"upward accountability\" (aligning with central policy directives) and \"downward compatibility\" (adapting to local governance needs) (Deng and Wu \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). After the promulgation of the \u003cem\u003eNational Industrial Heritage Management Measures\u003c/em\u003e, provincial and municipal governments successively issued corresponding local regulations. These local policies maintain high consistency with national policies in terms of framework and content while incorporating regional adaptations.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo systematically examine the hierarchical differences and regional characteristics of industrial heritage policies, this study employs a stratified sampling method:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eCentral level: Select special policy documents issued by the State Council, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, and MIIT.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eLocal level: Sampled four representative regions:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eLiaoning Province (Northeast China\u0026rsquo;s old industrial base)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eHubei Province (Central China\u0026rsquo;s industrial hub)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eSichuan Province (Western China\u0026rsquo;s industrial transformation case)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eShanghai Municipality (Coastal industrial city model)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis selection avoids redundant policy text collection while reflecting:(1)Governance logic differences between central and local levels; (2)Policy response characteristics shaped by regional industrial development stages; (3) A complete policy spectrum from traditional industrial bases to emerging industrial cities.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eUsing the \"PKULaw\" database, we searched for keywords including \u003cem\u003e\"industrial heritage,\" \"industrial tourism,\" \"industrial culture,\" \"old industrial cities,\"\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003e\"urban renewal.\"\u003c/em\u003e A total of 44 directly relevant policy documents were initially identified. After excluding highly repetitive or obsolete texts, 729 policy entries (national, provincial, and municipal) were retained for analysis.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.2 Research Methods\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe official policy system is presented as non-quantitative textual material expressed in descriptive language, with a clear policy foundation and distinct variations based on publication contexts. To ensure that the research identifies commonalities and extracts key points from the complex and fragmented information, the content analysis method is employed. This method, combined with comparative analysis, allows for the systematic selection of content related to industrial heritage protection and utilization from the official policy framework. Nvivo software is used for coding, decomposing, and extracting specific policy content, as well as for classifying themes.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the quantitative analysis of policy texts, a common practice is to treat original policy terms as the unit of analysis, sorting and numbering the policy texts sequentially (Gao \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). Additionally, the specific terms identified during the coding process will be integrated into a three-dimensional analytical framework, with the frequency of each term within each dimension being statistically analyzed. Given the multi-faceted nature of policy texts, some clauses may involve multiple policy tools or dimensions. Consequently, different types of policy tools or dimensions may be counted repeatedly during the analysis (Liu, Han and Chen \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.3 Three-Dimensional Analytical Framework Construction\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.3.1 X-axis: Policy Tools Dimension\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003ePolicy tools are the concrete means through which policy intentions are translated into administrative actions, turning policy ideals into tangible outcomes(Chen and Xue \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2007\u003c/span\u003e). For policies to be effective, they require not only authoritative and financial support but also sound implementation methods. There are various classification methods for policy tools, such as: informational, authoritative, organizational and fiscal tools(Woolthuis, Lankhuizen and Gilsing 2005); resource-based, coercive and hybrid tools(Howlett, Ramesh and Perl \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e); supply-side, demand-side and environmental tools(Rothwell and Zegveld \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1981\u003c/span\u003e). Given that supply-side, environmental, and demand-side policy tools are among the most widely applied in contemporary Chinese policy research\u0026mdash;particularly in policies aimed at promoting the development of emerging industries\u0026mdash;this analytical framework has been adopted for reference in the current study (Ran and Liu \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSupply-side policy tools refer to government initiatives that directly drive industrial heritage protection and reuse through top-down approaches such as \"financial support,\" \"technical assistance,\" and \"talent cultivation.\" Environmental (policy-oriented) tools involve government agencies shaping the external environment for industrial heritage protection and reuse through a combination of legal, administrative, and economic measures. This is achieved through interventions in areas such as the development of \"regulatory standard systems,\" the establishment of \"organizational safeguards and management innovations,\" and efforts to enhance \"social recognition and cultural dissemination.\" Demand-side policy tools encompass government strategies that encourage market-driven approaches to industrial heritage reuse. These include \"guidance and support for market-oriented utilization,\" \"consumer guidance and market cultivation,\" and \"public services and social participation.\" (see Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eClassification of Policies for the Protection and Utilization of Industrial Heritage\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePolicy Level\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePrimary Classification\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDescription\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"5\" rowspan=\"6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSupply-side Policy Tools\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFinancial support and incentives\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEstablish special funds, subsidies, tax incentives, and financing mechanisms\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eResource Survey\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eConduct systematic surveys and build a standardized digital database.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlanning and Project Management\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDevelop conservation plans integrated into spatial planning; oversee projects\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTechnical Support\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSet standards, fund research, digitize archives, and innovate methodologies\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSpecialized talent cultivation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePromote academic programs and vocational training.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCollaboration Platforms\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCreate information-sharing systems and cross-regional/international networks\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDemand-side Policy Tools\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMarket oriented utilization guidance and support\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIncentivize private investment via adaptive reuse policies and branding support\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePublic Service and Social Participation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTransform sites into cultural spaces; organize education/volunteer programs\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eConsumer guidance and market cultivation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDevelop heritage-themed products and tourism routes\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEnvironmental Policy Tools\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRegulatory standard system\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMulti-level legal systems and technical standards\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOrganizational support and management innovation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eInteragency coordination, professional teams, and public participation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSocial Identity and Cultural Communication\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePublic education, community activities, and recognition awards\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.3.2 Y-axis: Policy Objectives Dimension\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003ePolicy objectives serve as the central focus for the application of policy tools and represent the foundational conditions necessary to achieve the desired outcomes and impacts in policy implementation(He and Gao \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). Within public policy analysis frameworks, policy objectives exhibit multidimensional construction characteristics, requiring systematic consideration from both value rationality and instrumental rationality dimensions. As a typical cross-sectoral policy issue, industrial heritage protection demonstrates a composite objective system, which can be categorized into four aspects: cultural inheritance objectives, economic revitalization objectives, social livelihood objectives, and ecological restoration objectives(see Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab5\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 5\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDimensions of Industrial Heritage Policy Objectives\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"2\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePolicy Objectives\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDescription\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCultural inheritance objectives\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMaterial level protection\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIntangible level inheritance\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eConstruction of Value Interpretation System\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEconomic revitalization objectives\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eActivation of existing assets\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eExtension of industrial chain\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eInnovation space supply\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSocial livelihood objectives\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCommunity Space Reconstruction\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAccumulation of social capital\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFairness guarantee\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEcological restoration objectives\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eBrownfield\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGreen technology application\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEcological network construction\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec9\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.3.3 Z-axis: Management Cycle\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe transformation of industrial heritage requires collaboration among multiple stakeholders. However, the \"silo mentality\" that arises when different entities pursue their own interests, coupled with a \"fragmented and disjointed\" transformation process(Kirkwood and Xiao \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e), increases the risk of inefficiency or even failure in the renewal of underutilized sites. To address these challenges, it is crucial to adopt a whole-life-cycle perspective in the conservation and reuse of industrial heritage. According to the whole-life-cycle theory, the protection and utilization of industrial heritage can be divided into five stages: value identification and assessment, conservation planning and decision-making, transformation implementation, operational activation, and monitoring evaluation.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec10\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.4 Three-Dimensional Analytical Framework for Industrial Heritage Reuse\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eBy integrating the three dimensions of policy instruments, policy objectives, and the whole-life-cycle of industrial heritage, a three-dimensional analytical framework for industrial heritage policies has been constructed (see Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). Within this framework, the application of policy instruments is thoroughly analyzed based on the X-axis (policy instruments dimension).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"4.Analysis Results of Industrial Heritage Policy Texts","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec12\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.1 X-dimension Analysis of Policy Instruments\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe analytical results, based on text coding and frequency statistics (see Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab6\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e), reveal that China's industrial heritage policy instruments exhibit distinct structural characteristics across the national, provincial, and municipal administrative levels.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn terms of supply-side instruments, there is a significant imbalance in policy application, with financial support and specialized talent cultivation being relatively weak. A reverse pyramid phenomenon is observed in technical support and research \u0026amp; development, where national-level investments are substantial, but provincial and municipal levels show clear deficiencies. Additionally, platform development and cooperation mechanisms are particularly lacking at the municipal level. Regarding demand-side instruments, tools aimed at market-oriented utilization guidance, public service participation, and consumer market cultivation remain underrepresented. This shortfall directly limits the market-driven revitalization of industrial heritage and reduces public participation. When it comes to environmental instruments, investment in social recognition and cultural dissemination is notably insufficient. This highlights the need to enhance the communication of the cultural value of industrial heritage.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFurther analysis shows clear hierarchical differentiation in policy focus, with priorities shifting as the administrative levels descend. At the national level, the focus is on building a macro-framework. Provincial levels take on resource coordination and foundational work, while municipal levels concentrate on specific implementation and oversight.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab6\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 6\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrequency of Policy Tool Dimensions\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"8\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePolicy Tool\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNational level (frequency)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePercentage\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eProvincial level (frequency)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePercentage\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCity level (frequency)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePercentage\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"5\" rowspan=\"6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSupply-side Policy Tools\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFinancial support and incentives\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.88%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.46%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.45%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eResource Survey\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.80%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e41\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e15.77%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.58%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlanning and Project Management\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e17\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.29%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e29\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e11.15%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e26\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.96%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTechnical Support\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.80%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.85%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.07%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSpecialized talent cultivation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.44%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.77%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.77%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCollaboration Platforms\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.76%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e19\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.31%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.83%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDemand-side Policy Tools\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMarket oriented utilization guidance and support\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.34%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e18\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.92%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.36%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePublic Service and Social Participation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.85%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e17\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.54%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.60%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eConsumer guidance and market cultivation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.80%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.00%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.60%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEnvironmental Policy Tools\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRegulatory standard system\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e29\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.15%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e38\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e18.46%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e58\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e26.44%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOrganizational support and management innovation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e35\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e17.07%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e44\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16.92%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e56\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e21.46%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSocial Identity and Cultural Communication\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.88%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.85%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e18\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.90%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec13\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.2 Y-dimensional analysis of policy objectives\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe purpose of industrial heritage reuse involves multiple dimensions such as cultural inheritance, social benefits, and economic development. The policy objectives of industrial heritage reuse exhibit obvious hierarchical characteristics and cultural orientation preferences. Based on quantitative analysis of policy texts, it is found that the protection of historical and cultural values is at the core of policies at all levels. Among them, the cultural inheritance goals of provincial (63.64%) and municipal (66.53%) policies are particularly prominent, forming a rigid constraint of \"cultural protection priority\"; Although the goal of economic revitalization accounts for 41.87% at the national level, which is close to the goal of cultural heritage, it has shown a significant decline in policy transmission, dropping to 28.41% and 26.45% respectively at the provincial and municipal levels, reflecting the weakening trend of the economic revitalization function in grassroots practice. What is more noteworthy is that social livelihood goals are overall marginalized in the policy system, and ecological restoration goals are at an extremely low level(see Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab7\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab7\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 7\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrequency of Policy Objective Dimensions\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePolicy objectives\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNational level (frequency)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePercentage\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eProvincial level (frequency)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePercentage\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCity level (frequency)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePercentage\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCultural heritage\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e95\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e46.80%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e161\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e60.98%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e149\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e61.57%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEconomic revitalization\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e85\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e41.87%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e75\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e28.41%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e64\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e26.45%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSocial livelihood\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e22\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10.84%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.58%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10.33%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEcological Restoration\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.49%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.03%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.24%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec14\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.3 Analysis of the Full Life Cycle Dimensions of Industrial Heritage\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom the perspective of the policy system for the full life cycle management of industrial heritage, the current policy focus is clearly tilted towards protection planning and decision-making, while there is a serious lack of attention to the implementation and monitoring evaluation of transformation. Data shows that the proportion of protection planning and decision-making in national, provincial, and municipal policies is as high as 40.20%, 35.57%, and 37.55%, respectively, followed by the operational activation stage, accounting for 36.27%, 33.99%, and 34.29%, respectively. This resource allocation model has led to a \"policy gap\" phenomenon in the critical transformation stage of industrial heritage management from planning blueprints to implementation. At the same time, the proportion of monitoring and evaluation at all levels is very low, indicating insufficient policy support for the effectiveness feedback, risk warning, and continuous improvement of industrial heritage protection and reuse projects after implementation and operation. There is a lack of a sound monitoring and evaluation mechanism, which makes it difficult to ensure the long-term sustainable development of the projects (see Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab8\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab8\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 8\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrequency of Industrial Heritage in the Whole Life Cycle Dimension\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003elife cycle\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNational level (frequency)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePercentage\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eProvincial level (frequency)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePercentage\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCity level (frequency)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePercentage\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eProtection planning and decision-making\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e82\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e40.20%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e90\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e35.57%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e92\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e37.55%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eValue Identification and Evaluation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e27\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13.24%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e51\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e20.16%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e37\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e15.10%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRenovation implementation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.88%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.77%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e22\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.98%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOperational activation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e74\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e36.27%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e86\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e33.99%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e84\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e34.29%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMonitoring and evaluation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.41%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e19\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.51%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.08%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"5.Analysis of Causes for Industrial Heritage Reuse Failures from a Policy Instrument Perspective","content":"\u003cp\u003eAn external examination of the official industrial heritage policy system through the lens of policy instruments reveals that the failure of industrial heritage reuse does not stem from a single factor, but rather results from the interplay of multidimensional elements across policy, economic, social, and cultural domains.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec16\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e5.1 Policy Instrument Dimension: Incomplete Coordination Mechanism of Three-Dimensional Policy Instruments\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn ideal three-dimensional policy instrument system should follow a hierarchical division of labor: at the national level, the focus should be on environmental tools to lead the development of institutional frameworks; at the provincial level, supply-side tools should be prioritized to ensure precise resource allocation; and at the municipal level, demand-side tools should be strengthened to stimulate endogenous market dynamics. However, China's industrial heritage policy practice reveals several issues: at the national level, there is a gap in top-level design due to the lack of specialized regulations; at the provincial level, resource integration barriers lead to reduced allocation efficiency; and at the municipal level, the reliance on standardized implementation approaches and a lack of innovation hinder progress.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCurrently, the primary challenge facing China's industrial heritage conservation efforts is the lack of specialized legislation, which undermines the ability to create institutional synergy among supply-side, demand-side, and environmental policy instruments. This gap significantly impedes the effective reuse of industrial heritage. Under the existing legal framework, industrial heritage protection primarily relies on broad laws such as the Cultural Relics Protection Law and the Urban and Rural Planning Law. However, these laws exhibit considerable limitations, as their protection standards are geared toward traditional cultural relics or historic buildings, failing to address the unique historical, technical, and functional characteristics of industrial heritage. The absence of specialized protection laws leaves many industrial heritage sites outside the scope of the cultural relics protection system, making them vulnerable to demolition without legal recourse. There is a growing academic consensus that enacting a legally binding China Industrial Heritage Protection Law has become a critical priority to address these challenges. Such legislation should focus on expanding the criteria for identifying industrial heritage, establishing multi-stakeholder collaborative governance mechanisms, and designing institutional frameworks that strike a balance between preservation and development.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eProvincial governments play a crucial bridging role in the reuse of industrial heritage, with their primary responsibility being the precise allocation of resources through supply-side policy instruments. This role manifests in two key areas: first, translating national macro-level policies into actionable, locally tailored implementation plans; and second, coordinating various functional departments to establish cross-sectoral collaboration mechanisms. However, provincial industrial heritage policies face significant challenges in practice, particularly related to resource integration. Overlapping responsibilities and dispersed authority under multi-department management create barriers to effective resource concentration. Furthermore, the absence of robust incentive mechanisms undermines the ability of subordinate entities to achieve higher-level objectives, thus limiting the potential for more successful industrial heritage preservation and reuse initiatives.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs frontline implementers of industrial heritage conservation, municipal governments operating under China's GDP-centric performance evaluation system often favor demolition and redevelopment projects that yield immediate economic benefits over long-term preservation initiatives. This systemic bias consistently subordinates heritage conservation to commercial land development priorities. In practice, local authorities typically employ rigid, standardized administrative measures\u0026mdash;enforcing conservation through restrictive usage controls and bureaucratic approval processes. Such inflexible governance fails to accommodate diverse heritage characteristics or encourage innovative preservation approaches.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec17\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e5.2 Policy Objectives Dimension: Multi-dimensional Value Conflicts and Non-synergistic Issues\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe conservation of industrial heritage involves balancing multiple objectives, such as preserving historical value, renewing spatial functions, generating economic benefits, and fostering community identity. Achieving these interconnected goals requires long-term, comprehensive planning and active participation from diverse stakeholders (Niu, Lau and Shen et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). It calls for a focus not only on economic outcomes but also on transcending economic priorities to emphasize cultural and social sustainability, striving for balance across economic, cultural, social, and environmental dimensions(Landorf \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e). In the context of industrial heritage regeneration, government, market, and societal actors often come with divergent objectives, leading to multi-dimensional value conflicts and lack of synergy. These challenges are most evident in the misalignment between cultural preservation, economic development, social welfare, and ecological protection goals.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCultural value constitutes the core value of industrial heritage. Although comprehensive quantitative analyses of historical, technological, artistic, and social values are conducted during the evaluation phase, these measurable protection standards often prove difficult to sustain during the implementation and operational activation stages. This manifests in two prominent issues in practice. On one hand, there is fragmentation in conservation targets. Influenced by a monument-centric preservation mindset, industrial heritage regeneration tends to focus on iconic standalone buildings while neglecting the holistic protection of surrounding industrial complexes and their environments (Liu, Huang and Zhou \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). This fractures the systemic narrative of industrial heritage as a \"production landscape.\" On the other hand, there is simplification of value objectives. Protection models driven solely by cultural preservation often result in projects that merely fulfill formal requirements like physical restoration and plaque designation, lacking synergistic designs that integrate economic and social benefits. Ultimately, these projects become static exhibition spaces devoid of vitality.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEconomic development is a crucial dimension of industrial heritage renewal, but it often falls into the trap of excessive commercialization. Market-driven industrialization processes, while aiming to generate economic value, frequently undermine the authenticity and cultural essence of heritage (Choay \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e). This contradiction permeates the entire development cycle. During the planning phase, investors often overlook the unique characteristics of industrial heritage, local cultural contexts, and the surrounding urban environment. Rushing into projects without a deep understanding of the cultural dynamics results in homogeneous cultural parks with replicated designs(Hu and Chen \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2010\u003c/span\u003e). These developments struggle with poor space utilization, unsustainable operational models, and insufficient revenue to support long-term maintenance, eventually becoming inactive or even defunct(Wang, Xing and Feng \u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). During the renovation phase, market-driven entities, focused on short-term economic gains, often lack a comprehensive approach to conservation. They tend to demolish entire factory complexes or selectively transform only well-located industrial plots to minimize demolition costs, disregarding the surrounding residential areas and supporting infrastructure(Liu, Huang and Zhou \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). This approach severely damages the systemic integrity of industrial heritage, leading to irreversible harm such as the removal of load-bearing structures and the replacement of original materials\u0026mdash;replacing tangible records of industrial history with consumer-oriented landscapes. In the operational phase, an overemphasis on entertainment-oriented development dilutes the industrial heritage\u0026rsquo;s historical memory, while homogeneous competition erodes the uniqueness of projects. Alarmingly, the lack of long-term monitoring and evaluation systems makes it difficult to track conservation outcomes, ultimately reducing these projects to low-end rental economies, devoid of cultural and historical value(Meng and Qi \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the social dimension, when local governments repurpose iconic industrial heritage buildings and cultural brands into tourist destinations to attract capital investment, these sites often become \"disconnected from the local sense of place and the daily realities of residents who have experienced 'industrial destruction.'\" (Hoekstra \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). This disconnection creates challenges for industrial heritage projects in integrating with surrounding communities. Worse, excessive commercialization or exclusionary designs can lead to gentrification, displacing low-income groups and exacerbating social tensions(Lu, Chen and Long et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). This results in the severing of original community ties and deepens social inequalities.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEnvironmental challenges mainly involve brownfield remediation. Industrial heritage sites are often plagued by historical pollution issues, and both governments and developers tend to prioritize commercial gains after redevelopment, viewing brownfield remediation as a costly and burdensome task (Xu, Wang and Zhao \u003cspan citationid=\"CR41\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e). As a result, redevelopment efforts are often emphasized over proper environmental cleanup (Zhang \u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e). Without mandatory ecological restoration requirements, inadequate environmental risk assessments or improper handling throughout the project lifecycle can jeopardize post-renovation environmental safety and hinder the long-term adaptability of the site for sustainable use.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec18\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e5.3 Lifecycle Management Dimension: Policy Disconnects in Planning, Renovation, and Oversight\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe conservation and adaptive reuse of industrial heritage represents an extended lifecycle management process that spans the initial planning, mid-term renovation, and long-term operation phases. However, China's current industrial heritage policy system reveals significant disconnects between these critical stages, leading to inefficient or failed conservation and reuse outcomes.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe root causes of unsuccessful industrial heritage projects often stem from the planning phase, where decisions on value assessment frameworks and functional positioning play a pivotal role in determining project viability. China's industrial heritage is marked by a high degree of typological diversity, regional disparities, and strong geographical specificity(Ji \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e). These characteristics contribute to cognitive biases in how value is identified and conservation priorities are set across different localities.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn practice, the evaluation of industrial heritage values remains confined to standardized procedural steps (Huang \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e), primarily focusing on determining \"which industrial heritage deserves protection\". However, there is often a lack of guidance on how to transform protected heritage into usable assets, especially in terms of functional adaptability, market feasibility, economic sustainability, operational management, and environmental and social impacts. Scholars have long advocated for the inclusion of supplementary evaluations, such as \"assessment of current status, conservation, and reuse value,\" which could better inform the selection of adaptive reuse models(Liu \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). In terms of functional positioning, international experience has shown that the level of refinement in early planning is positively correlated with the success rate of the project. In the early stages of renovation, it is necessary to establish a comprehensive renovation plan from the perspective of multiple stakeholders to avoid repeated adjustments during the implementation process (Bronders, Touchant, Van, Patyn and Provoost 2008), and to fully assess factors such as regional industrial development trends, market demand, resource endowments, and special opportunities (policy opportunities, important events)( Du, Jia and Peng \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe transformation of industrial heritage is the process of converting the inherent value assessed during the early stages into usable value. However, in China's policy practice, this transformation is often treated merely as a routine urban or rural construction project, leading to a gap in the overall policy framework. From the perspective of technical requirements, the transformation of industrial heritage involves multidisciplinary knowledge such as historical building protection, structural mechanics, materials science, and sustainable development. It has extremely high technical requirements in structural transformation, material restoration, functional implantation, and intelligent management. However, existing policies have failed to effectively guide the research and application of relevant technologies, nor have they established a sound technical standard system, resulting in a lack of scientific basis for technology selection and implementation in the transformation process. Although the national level maintains a high investment intensity in common technology research and development, standard system construction, and demonstration project support, local governments have serious insufficient investment in technology transformation and application, resulting in a lack of regional technology reserves, ultimately leading to widespread risks such as quality defects, low efficiency, and even delays in transformation practices due to technological bottlenecks. What is even more alarming is that due to the lack of a comprehensive regulatory mechanism, the aforementioned technical risks often exhibit hidden and cumulative characteristics, making it difficult to identify and effectively intervene in a timely manner, and ultimately may evolve into irreversible loss of heritage value.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe lack of targeted industrial support policies, tax incentives, financial services, and other mechanisms in some regions poses a significant challenge for operators. Without suitable profit models and the ability to attract and retain high-quality commercial resources, industrial heritage reuse struggles to remain financially viable. Once the initial policy benefits or \"dividends\" dissipate, the absence of sustained policy support and market cultivation makes it difficult for operations to continue, often leading to abandonment or mismanagement. This, in turn, results in industrial heritage falling into neglect once again. A deeper issue lies in the failure of the evaluation and feedback mechanisms within the policy framework. The reuse of industrial heritage is inherently a continuously evolving, complex adaptive system(Tian, Zhang and Wang et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e). However, the current policy structure lacks a dynamic monitoring system that can track the full lifecycle of these projects. Without systematic monitoring and evaluation, it becomes impossible to effectively assess key aspects such as policy effectiveness, economic sustainability, social impact, and environmental risks. This oversight gap hinders the ability to make informed adjustments or improvements, undermining the long-term success of industrial heritage preservation and reuse initiatives.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"6. Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eBased on an analysis of the correlation between failed industrial heritage reuse cases in China and the existing official policy framework, this study reveals that the root cause of these failures lies in the structural deficiencies within the policy system. Specifically, policy goals are overly focused on short-term economic benefits, leading to the systematic marginalization of cultural protection and ecological restoration priorities. Furthermore, the policy tools in place are ineffective: regulatory mechanisms fail to prevent destructive transformation practices, incentive measures are poorly aligned with the long-term sustainability of operations, and cross-departmental collaboration remains weak, resulting in a regulatory vacuum. Additionally, the absence of a dynamic monitoring and post-evaluation system that spans the entire lifecycle of industrial heritage projects leads to the ineffective maintenance of core aspects, such as cultural integrity and environmental safety. These policy shortcomings have contributed to the erosion of the core values of industrial heritage, exacerbated by the lack of proper market guidance and constraints. Ultimately, this has led to failures such as the loss of industrial context, homogeneous development, unsustainable operations, and inadequate environmental risk management.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is clear that China's industrial heritage protection policy system requires fundamental reform. From a value perspective, there is an urgent need to establish a comprehensive \"sustainable development\" goal. In terms of institutional development, the formulation of dedicated regulations for industrial heritage is crucial to clarify the boundaries of protection, innovate incentive mechanisms that promote cultural innovation and green technologies, and create a cross-departmental governance platform to break down administrative silos. Mechanism-wise, a robust evaluation system must be established to monitor every stage\u0026mdash;from planning and transformation to operation\u0026mdash;ensuring that cultural and environmental risks are assessed in advance. Independent third-party process monitoring, post-project evaluations focused on maintaining value and ensuring environmental safety, and the incorporation of expert consultation and public participation will all enhance the scientific rigor of decision-making. Only through comprehensive policy reform and restructuring can the current dilemma surrounding industrial heritage reuse be overcome, transforming it into a sustainable practice that preserves historical memory, fosters ecological restoration, and revitalizes urban life.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is equally important to recognize that municipal governments, as the primary agents of policy implementation, continue to rely heavily on conventional economic development pathways\u0026mdash;most notably real estate, including commercial property development\u0026mdash;as a means of stimulating local economic growth. This dependence persists despite the increasing structural limitations and declining efficacy of such strategies in the present economic climate. By contrast, the adaptive reuse of industrial heritage remains a relatively nascent concept within the Chinese policy landscape and faces persistent challenges in demonstrating its capacity to serve as a viable engine for local economic revitalization. Compared with the mature and well-institutionalized real estate sector, the mechanisms through which industrial heritage reuse can generate economic value, create employment opportunities, and foster community regeneration are less clearly defined. Although a number of successful cases and a growing body of theoretical research attest to its potential, these have yet to coalesce into a replicable and sustainably effective model applicable at the national scale.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eConsequently, given the entrenched reliance of municipal administrations on high-intensity development trajectories and deeply ingrained modes of economic thinking, it is unrealistic to expect industrial heritage reuse to fully supplant the real estate sector in the short term. Nonetheless, even partial substitution would carry significant implications. Considering both the vast scale of China\u0026rsquo;s economy and the substantial stock of extant industrial heritage, the reallocation of even a seemingly marginal proportion of development efforts toward adaptive reuse would constitute an experiment of considerable magnitude in practical terms.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConflict of interest\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare they have no competing interests.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ch2\u003eEthical approval\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis article does not contain any studies with human participants performed by any of\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ch2\u003eInformed consent\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis article does not contain any studies with human participants performed by any of\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eFunding\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eNone.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAuthor Contribution\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eA and S wrote the main text and A created Figures 1 and Table 1-8. All authors participated in reviewing the manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAcknowledgments\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eNone.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eData availability\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe data used in this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA\u0026ntilde;ibarro MV, Andrade MJ, Jim\u0026eacute;nez-Morales E (2023) A multicriteria approach to adaptive reuse of industrial heritage: Case studies of riverside power plants. Land 12:314. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.3390/land12020314\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.3390/land12020314\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBattisti A, Baiani S (2024) ETHICS: Endorse Technologies for Heritage Innovation, vol 280. Springer, Cham, Switzerland. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-50121-0\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1007/978-3-031-50121-0\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBianchini F (1993) Remaking European cities: the role of cultural policies. Cultural policy and urban regeneration: The West European experience, p 1\u0026ndash;20\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBronders J, Touchant K, Van Keer I, Patyn J, Provoost J (2008) A risk management plan for the redevelopment of a Brownfield: an example. ConSoil 2008: Theme F-Sustainable \u0026amp; risk based land management, p 47\u0026ndash;54\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChen Z, Xue L (2007) Key areas and themes of theoretical research in Chinese public administration. Social Sci China (3):140\u0026ndash;152, 206\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChoay F (2013) The allegory of architectural heritage (Q. Kou, Trans). Tsinghua University, p 125\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDeng S, Wu Y (2022) Quantitative analysis of local government data security governance policies: A three dimensional analysis framework based on 'tools target process'. J Beihang Univ (Social Sci Ed 1\u0026ndash;17. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.13766/j.bhsk.1008-2204.2024.1481\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.13766/j.bhsk.1008-2204.2024.1481\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDu Q, Jia W, Peng J (2024) Research on the 'industrial renewal' model for reusing industrial remains: A case study of Beijing Shougang Park. China Anc City 38:10\u0026ndash;14\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFirth TM (2011) Tourism as a means to industrial heritage conservation: Achilles heel or saving grace? J Herit Tourism 6:45\u0026ndash;62. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1080/1743873X.2010.536233\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1080/1743873X.2010.536233\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGao G (2023) A study on the policy texts of urban employees' basic pension insurance: A three-dimensional analytical framework of policy tools, objectives, and actors. J Beijing Univ Aeronaut Astronaut (Social Sci Edition) 36:133\u0026ndash;142\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHe J, Gao W (2024) The 'three-dimensional embedded' supply logic of public service data governance policies: A quantitative analysis of 'tools-content-objectives'. Changbai J (3):44\u0026ndash;57\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHoekstra MS (2020) Iconic architecture and middle-class politics of memory in a deindustrialized city. Sociology 54:693\u0026ndash;710. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1177/0038038520906772\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1177/0038038520906772\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHowlett M, Ramesh M, Perl A (2009) Studying public policy: Policy cycles and policy subsystems, vol 3. Oxford University Press\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHu H, Chen X (2010) Critical reviews of China's cultural industries, vol 12. Shanghai People\u0026rsquo;s Publishing House, p 121\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHuang M (2009) Value assessment and documentation of cultural heritage. Fudan University, p 69\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHuang Q (2013) China\u0026rsquo;s industrialization process: Stages, characteristics, and prospects. Econ Manage 27(7):5\u0026ndash;11\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHuang Y (2018) The rebirth of old urban communities: A Shanghai case study. Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, p p100\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJi H (2017) The evolution of international industrial heritage conservation concepts after the Nizhny Tagil Charter: Case studies of the Dublin Principles and Taipei Asian Industrial Heritage Declaration. New Archit (5):74\u0026ndash;77\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKirkwood N, Xiao L (2015) A comprehensive view of brownfields. Chin Landsc Archit 31(4):5\u0026ndash;9\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLandorf C (2009) A framework for sustainable heritage management: A study of UK industrial heritage sites. Int J Herit Stud 15:494\u0026ndash;510. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1080/13527250903210795\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1080/13527250903210795\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLeng W, Liu G, Cheng X et al (2025) Scaling of urban residential building stock system and carbon emissions accounting for vacant houses in China. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 223:108502\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLi F, Zhao L (2019) Reflections on the transformation of industrial heritage into creative industrial parks: A case study of Qingdao's 6 State Cotton Mill. Chin Overseas Archit 147\u0026ndash;50. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttp://dx.doi.org/10.19940/j.cnki.1008-0422.2019.01.010\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.19940/j.cnki.1008-0422.2019.01.010\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLi R, Fang H, Dai M (2020) Industrial heritage preservation from a stakeholder game theory perspective: Realities and solutions. China Collective Econ (11):18\u0026ndash;19\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLin Q (2025) How can industrial heritage become the 'cultural engine' of urban renewal? Study Times 6\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLiu B (2018) New perspectives on the scientific and technological value of China's industrial heritage. Industrial Constr 48(8):1\u0026ndash;760\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLiu D (2025) May 28 Zhang Zhidong and Wuhan Museum: Four years of 'upgrades' without progress, left to decay\u0026mdash;Who is responsible? \u003cem\u003eSohu News\u003c/em\u003e. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://news.sohu.com/a/899540359_121248145\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://news.sohu.com/a/899540359_121248145\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e. Accessed 22 July 2025\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLiu G, Han W, Chen A (2021) Quantitative research on public health emergency response policies based on a three-dimensional analytical framework: A case study of COVID-19. Mod Inform 41(7):13\u0026ndash;26\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLiu N, Huang J, Zhou J (2023) Planning strategies for industrial heritage conservation in urban centers: A case study of the old Huaxin Cement Factory site in Huangshi, Hubei. Planners 39(2):117\u0026ndash;124\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLiu X, Guo J (2022) Value-oriented adaptive reuse of industrial heritage in urban renewal contexts. Urban Dev Stud 29(5):80\u0026ndash;85\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLu S, Chen L, Long C et al (2023) Tourism gentrification in suburban traditional villages: Shanghai's Zhujiajiao case study. Acta Geogr Sin 78(10):2535\u0026ndash;2553\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMeng F, Qi C (2020) Review, reflection, and insights on the conservation and reuse of Beijing's industrial heritage. Industrial Constr 50(3):151\u0026ndash;155\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNiu S, Lau SSY, Shen Z et al (2018) Sustainability issues in the industrial heritage adaptive reuse: Rethinking culture-led urban regeneration through Chinese case studies. J Housing Built Environ 33:501\u0026ndash;518. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1007/s10901-018-9614-5\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1007/s10901-018-9614-5\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRan A, Liu J (2021) Research on the policy system for old residential area renovation from a policy tools perspective: A case study of Beijing. Urban Dev Stud 28(4):57\u0026ndash;63\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRomeo E, Morezzi E, Rudiero R (2015) Industrial heritage: Reflections on the use compatibility of cultural sustainability and energy efficiency. Energy Procedia 78:1305\u0026ndash;1310. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2015.11.145\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1016/j.egypro.2015.11.145\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRothwell R, Zegveld W (1981) Industrial innovation and public policy. Praeger, p 251\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTian Y, Zhang L, Wang J et al (2016) Dynamic assessment of industrial heritage regeneration effects: Case study of 'Hanyang Made' creative park. New Archit (3):14\u0026ndash;18\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTimothy DJ (2017) The heritage tourist experience: Critical essays, volume two. Routledge, pp 3. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.4324/9781315239248\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.4324/9781315239248\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWang N, Xing C, Feng Y (2020) How to achieve quality and sustainability in urban industrial heritage regeneration. China City News 4\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWang Z (2020) Domestic and international experiences in financial support for industrial heritage preservation and utilization. Bank (2):98\u0026ndash;101\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWu T, Liang X (2025) Mechanisms of industrial heritage protection failure through the lens of commons tragedy theory: A Guangzhou case study. Urban Dev Stud 32(5):77\u0026ndash;83\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eXu S, Wang N, Zhao Z (2025) A brief discussion on domestic and international research on brownfield remediation of urban industrial heritage. Contemp Archit (2):50\u0026ndash;56\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eXu T (2019) Differentiation between industry-specific heritage and traditional cultural relics protection: A case study of 'National Industrial Heritage'. In Proceedings of the 2019 Annual Conference of the Architectural History Branch of the Architectural Society of China (Volume II), pp 64\u0026ndash;70. Beijing Forestry University School of Landscape Architecture. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.26914/c.cnkihy.2019.043696\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.26914/c.cnkihy.2019.043696\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYang C, Shang L, Cai E (2023) Research on urban renewal and landscape architecture design. Jilin Science and Technology, p 136\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eZhang J (2025) Culture-green integration: Theories, technologies and practices in the conservation and renewal of China's urban old districts. Contemp Archit 27\u0026ndash;206. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.20268/j.cnki.ISSN2096-8051.20252101\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.20268/j.cnki.ISSN2096-8051.20252101\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eZhao X (2018) Catalyst theory applied to industrial heritage preservation and renewal. Northwest University, p 18\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eZhou J (2025) Century-old 6 State Cotton Mill: 'New era' wavers in TOD model. Qingdao Dly 4\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eZhu Q (2011) Conservation of Industrial Heritage in Transformation of Industrial City for Sustainable Development. 47th ISOCARP Congress, Wuhan\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"humanities-and-social-sciences-communications","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"palcomms","sideBox":"Learn more about [Humanities \u0026 Social Sciences Communications](http://www.nature.com/palcomms/)","snPcode":"41599","submissionUrl":"https://submission.springernature.com/new-submission/41599/3","title":"Humanities and Social Sciences Communications","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Nature AJ","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"industrial heritage reuse, official policy framework, policy text analysis","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7543740/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7543740/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eChina's rapid industrialization has resulted in a significant volume of industrial heritage, and the preservation and adaptive reuse of this heritage have become crucial issues in urban renewal and cultural continuity. Despite substantial efforts supported by national policies, many industrial heritage reuse projects face operational challenges and fail to meet their objectives. This creates a paradox in China's industrial heritage reuse practices: while policy support continues to grow stronger, the failure rate of projects remains high. Through policy analysis and case studies, this paper systematically examines the weaknesses in China's industrial heritage reuse policy framework and the reasons behind its implementation failures. The study finds that, at the policy instrument level, the lack of specialized national regulations leads to a gap in top-level design. Provincial-level efforts are hindered by inefficiencies due to barriers in resource integration, while municipal-level implementation is constrained by a lack of diverse approaches and innovative momentum. At the level of policy objectives, conflicting goals among government, market, and societal stakeholders result in multi-layered value clashes. These clashes manifest as structural contradictions between the goals of cultural heritage preservation, economic development, social welfare, and ecological restoration In terms of full-cycle management, China's current industrial heritage policy framework exhibits significant policy gaps, leading to disconnects in critical stages such as assessment, planning, implementation, and supervision, further exacerbating the inefficiency or failure of protection and reuse efforts.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Why Does the Reuse of China's Industrial Heritage Fail? Reflections Based on the Existing Official Policy Framework","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-10-24 02:15:32","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7543740/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2025-11-11T16:52:38+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-10-27T18:35:48+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-10-25T20:20:05+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-10-23T17:41:36+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"298139214093816096486825425827819512280","date":"2025-10-11T19:52:02+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"85542919966983810326683434444235098866","date":"2025-10-10T14:33:20+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"108289987343450959298952692841653970678","date":"2025-10-10T08:30:52+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-10-10T07:14:50+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"24913338930393334063662879426510118401","date":"2025-10-10T06:36:51+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"324636150941302889956140268513394389528","date":"2025-10-09T12:49:05+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"315153142754684763672135779108381304850","date":"2025-10-09T12:31:10+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"158702447877339154535388774522745896028","date":"2025-10-09T12:07:08+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-10-09T12:03:35+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2025-09-26T09:36:13+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-09-24T09:22:43+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-09-06T09:43:20+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Humanities and Social Sciences Communications","date":"2025-09-05T11:16:29+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"humanities-and-social-sciences-communications","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"palcomms","sideBox":"Learn more about [Humanities \u0026 Social Sciences Communications](http://www.nature.com/palcomms/)","snPcode":"41599","submissionUrl":"https://submission.springernature.com/new-submission/41599/3","title":"Humanities and Social Sciences Communications","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Nature AJ","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"fb1f34f7-7bd6-4d56-b8f1-86fa3e247060","owner":[],"postedDate":"October 24th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[{"id":56541407,"name":"Social science/Development studies"},{"id":56541408,"name":"Social science/Environmental studies"},{"id":56541409,"name":"Social science/Social policy"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-05-14T03:23:18+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-10-24 02:15:32","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7543740","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7543740","identity":"rs-7543740","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}