ABSTRACT
Considering the development of heritage tourism in the era of big data and taking touristic spaces in historic districts as the object, this chapter explores the impact factors of the authenticity experience from the visitors' perspective. The study was carried out from the perspective of the constructivist authenticity theory, emphasising the perceived authenticity and integration of subjective and objective aspects. Five main categories have been created by analysing online comments through three-level coding based on grounded theory: architectural characteristics, environmental construction, commercial activities, traditional culture and environmental atmosphere. The study constructed a conceptual model including explicit and implicit factors and presented renewal strategies for touristic spaces in a historic district, including the reconstruction of space, overlapping of functions, inheritance of context and a collage of traditional scenarios. Finally, specific design proposals were put forward, using 25–27 Daxinqiao Lane in Pingjiang Road, Suzhou, as an example. The study integrated theoretical approaches and strategies of transformation for the historical area, providing a new design philosophy for local and sustainable iterative regeneration of the built environment in the future.
