Holistic Spatial Perspective on Cultural Empowerment for Urban Quality Upgrading in Shenyang: A Pathway Study

Abstract

Under the national holistic spatial development strategy and the people-centered urban development concept, urban quality upgrading has become a core task of high-quality new-type urbanization, with culture serving as a key empowering force. As a core city in the Northeast old industrial base, Shenyang possesses abundant historical and revolutionary cultural resources. In promoting holistic spatial development, it urgently needs cultural empowerment to break through bottlenecks in quality improvement. From a holistic spatial perspective, this study defines concepts, reviews theories, applies SWOT analysis to Shenyang’s current situation, draws on domestic and international experience, and constructs pathways and safeguard measures for cultural empowerment to upgrade urban quality. The research shows that Shenyang has prominent advantages but faces problems such as inefficient resource transformation, uneven spatial distribution, and weak industrial competitiveness. Accordingly, a four-dimensional optimization pathway is proposed to provide a reference for Shenyang’s high-quality development.