Table 10 Analysis of Relevant Laws and Regulations.
From: Commercial color impact on traditional heritage features in Suzhou Shiquan historic district
Category | Name | Content Related to “Color” and “Appearance” | Shortcomings of Existing Content |
|---|---|---|---|
Laws and Regulations | Article 4 of the Urban and Rural Planning Law of the People’s Republic of China | Protects arable land and other natural resources, historical and cultural heritage, and maintains local and ethnic characteristics and traditional appearance. | This article broadly emphasizes the need for urban planning to focus on the protection of cultural heritage and environmental coordination, indirectly suggesting the need for color coordination. |
Article 25 of the Cultural Relics Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China | Local governments at or above the county level in historical and cultural cities, districts, and villages must organize and prepare specific protection plans for historical and cultural cities, districts, and villages, integrating them into relevant planning. | This article only calls for maintaining traditional appearance when protecting historical districts and cities, without specifically addressing the coordination of building facade colors and traditional features. | |
Policies and Regulations | Article 25 and 27 of the Protection Regulations for Historical and Cultural Cities, Towns, and Villages | Article 25: Activities within the protection scope of historical and cultural cities, towns, and villages should protect their traditional layout, historical appearance, and buildings; protection plans should be formulated, approved by the local government and relevant cultural relics departments, and carried out according to laws and regulations. Article 27: Historical buildings in the core protection area of historical districts, towns, and villages should retain their original height, volume, appearance, and colors. | The regulations at the macro level call for the protection of traditional layouts and historical appearances, mentioning that buildings’ styles, materials, and colors should match historical district characteristics, preventing the destruction of overall harmony. However, there are no specific provisions on building color in historical buildings. |
Notice from the Ministry of Housing and Urban—Rural Development on Further Strengthening Urban and Architectural Appearance Management | Strengthens urban design’s guidance and restrictions on buildings. Architectural design must meet urban design requirements in terms of form, color, volume, height, and spatial environment. Comprehensive urban inspections should be carried out to address various “urban diseases,” including bizarre buildings. | This notice urges local governments to introduce specific color management regulations for key areas, emphasizing that the building color in historical districts should align with regional cultural appearance. | |
General Land Use and Space Planning of Suzhou (Page 29) | Strengthening control over architectural design, the fifth façade, and urban color management elements in the city’s appearance. | It mentions that urban design should focus on overall coordination, including the relationship between building colors, skylines, and architectural clusters. |
