Reimagining Landscape Planning in China's Island Communities
We live in the Anthropocene, a new geological epoch where human activity has become the dominant force shaping Earth's biological, chemical, and physical systems 1 . This reality is transforming how we understand and practice tourism—no longer can we view picturesque destinations as mere backdrops for our leisure activities. They are now recognized as dynamic, fragile systems where human and environmental interactions constantly negotiate space, resources, and meaning.
Located in China's Shengsi County, where traditional fishing livelihoods increasingly intersect with booming tourism development.
A growing phenomenon where travelers rush to experience vulnerable destinations before they vanish due to climate change 1 .
The Anthropocene represents more than just environmental crisis—it signifies a fundamental shift in how we conceptualize human-environment relationships.
In tourism, this has sparked a move "beyond sustainability" as traditional managerial approaches prove inadequate for addressing interconnected planetary challenges 1 . Where sustainability often focused on mitigating tourism's negative impacts, Anthropocene-aware planning asks more profound questions about ethics, responsibility, and adaptation in an era of irreversible change.
Natural landmarks vanish while new landscapes emerge through ecological change and human intervention 1 .
Communities balance preserving cultural identity while accommodating visitors and maintaining ecological integrity 1 .
Growing emphasis on ethics of care for local people, places, and non-human species 1 .
A groundbreaking study of Shengsi Archipelago introduced an innovative four-dimensional model for comprehensively evaluating tourism development sustainability in island contexts 6 . This approach offers a more nuanced understanding of tourism's complex impacts and potential, moving beyond simplistic metrics to capture the multifaceted nature of sustainable tourism.
| Dimension | Components Measured | Importance for Island Tourism |
|---|---|---|
| Tourism Attractions | Natural landscapes, cultural resources, online popularity | Determines initial visitor interest and drawing power |
| Ecological Resilience | Habitat quality, landscape fragmentation, environmental sensitivity | Ensures long-term viability despite tourism pressures |
| Traffic Accessibility | External connectivity, internal transportation networks | Affects visitor experience and carrying capacity |
| Accommodation Capacity | Hotels, guesthouses, homestays, and other lodging options | Directly determines overnight tourist capacity |
This model recognizes that successful tourism planning requires balancing all four dimensions. A destination might boast spectacular attractions, but if ecological resilience is compromised or accessibility limited, sustainable development remains elusive.
The four-dimensional model was applied across Shengsi Archipelago, providing valuable insights relevant to Zhi Ao Stone Village's planning context. The research employed sophisticated geospatial analysis and statistical methods to evaluate tourism sustainability across different islands and within specific areas of each island 6 .
The study analyzed seven major islands using both whole islands and smaller 1km² evaluation units within each island 6 .
Incorporated field surveys, online popularity analysis, habitat quality indices, and transportation network assessments 6 .
Used Principal Component Analysis to weight the relative importance of different factors and ensure non-redundant dimensions 6 .
The research revealed significant spatial heterogeneity in tourism sustainability across the archipelago, with different islands and even different areas within the same island showing distinct strengths and weaknesses 6 .
| Island Number | Tourism Attractions | Ecological Resilience | Traffic Accessibility | Accommodation Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Island 1 | High in central/eastern areas | Medium-high | High | High |
| Island 2 | Medium with some high areas | Medium | Medium-high | Medium |
| Island 3 | High across most areas | Medium-low | Medium | Medium |
| Island 5 | Low-medium | High | Low | Low |
The Shengsi Archipelago research demonstrates that effective tourism planning in the Anthropocene requires sophisticated tools and methodologies that can capture complex human-environment interactions.
| Research Tool | Primary Function | Application in Tourism Planning |
|---|---|---|
| Geographic Information Systems (GIS) | Spatial data analysis and mapping | Identifies spatial patterns, overlaps, and conflicts in tourism development factors |
| Remote Sensing | Landscape monitoring through satellite imagery | Tracks environmental changes, habitat loss, and landscape fragmentation over time |
| Principal Component Analysis | Statistical dimensionality reduction | Determines key factors driving tourism sustainability from complex datasets |
| Spatial Heterogeneity Analysis | Mapping variability across different scales | Reveals location-specific strengths and limitations in tourism development |
| Digital Visibility Assessment | Measuring online presence and popularity | Quantifies tourist awareness and interest through reviews and social media |
For Zhi Ao Stone Village, applying this toolkit could identify specific areas where tourism development might be appropriately concentrated, locations requiring ecological protection, and infrastructure improvements needed to balance accessibility with environmental protection.
The Shengsi Archipelago study offers several crucial insights for the tourism ecology planning and design project in Zhi Ao Stone Village:
The research revealed that spatial mismatches between tourism attractions, accessibility, and accommodation capacity represent the primary constraint to sustainable development 6 .
The four-dimensional model reveals that areas with high tourism attractiveness frequently face greater ecological vulnerability 6 . For Zhi Ao Stone Village, this highlights the need for:
During critical ecological periods
Directing visitors away from fragile areas
Ensuring tourism benefits contribute to conservation
While focused on island communities, the approaches developed through the Shengsi Archipelago research and applied to Zhi Ao Stone Village offer valuable insights for tourism planning in diverse Anthropocene contexts:
Emphasis on cultural heritage preservation and community benefit-sharing applies equally to historic villages nationwide experiencing tourism pressure.
The principles of balancing attraction development with traffic accessibility and accommodation capacity offer relevance for cities managing overtourism.
The tourism ecology planning and design project for Zhi Ao Stone Village represents a microcosm of the broader challenges and opportunities facing tourism destinations in the Anthropocene. By applying comprehensive assessment frameworks like the four-dimensional model and embracing the complex realities of human-environment relationships, communities can navigate the delicate balance between economic opportunity and ecological preservation.
The Anthropocene demands that we reconsider tourism not as an industry separate from nature and culture, but as an integrated force that shapes landscapes, influences ecosystems, and transforms communities.
As the researchers behind the Shengsi Archipelago study concluded, improving tourism sustainability requires "coordinating the spatial mismatches of different dimensions" 6 . For all tourism destinations facing Anthropocene challenges, this means developing planning processes that are as dynamic, interconnected, and adaptable as the landscapes they seek to sustain.
The future of tourism in the Anthropocene lies not in resisting change, but in steering it toward outcomes that preserve ecological integrity, celebrate cultural diversity, and distribute benefits equitably. Through projects like Zhi Ao Stone Village, we glimpse a path toward tourism that serves both human communities and the planetary systems that sustain us all.