Reproduction Of Consumer Spaces And Historic District Touristification In Old Beijing City

With increasing globalization and consumerism, heritage tourism has contributed to local economic development, while over-tourism may have impeded experienced locality by residents and facilitated cultural alienation. To compensate for the dearth of cross-case comparisons and spatial quantifications using big data of existing research, this study constructed an enriched framework of space production theory integrating historic-sociological analysis and spatial analysis to connect the process and outcomes of consumer space reproduction in historic districts in Old Beijing City. Following a historical analysis of social interrelationships in the consumer space reproduction process, binary consumer spaces, namely tourist- and resident-oriented, were distinguished based on points of interest. Case studies were adopted to reveal the heterogeneity of consumer space reproduction in touristification with the aim of addressing the current lack of case individuality in spatial and social analysis. The results reveal that (1) since the 1990s, multiple social forces with varying and interdependently influential perspectives on historic districts have combined to reshape consumer spaces in historic districts. (2) Capital and authority have dominated the touristification process, but residents' spatial power has been declining. (3) Although the old city is in danger of over-consumerism and cultural alienation, individual differences in spatial reproduction suggest multiple possibilities in terms of development models and reveal policy implications for sustainable heritage tourism.