As the core carrier of public life in small towns, the evolution of street vitality reflects the characteristics of urbanization and socio-cultural transitions across different regions. Stepping out of the conventional research stereotype that heavily focuses on metropolitan core areas, this paper systematically reviews domestic and international literature concerning street spaces in small towns. The study finds that: (1) In terms of theoretical origins, Western academia tends to introduce the Social-Ecological Model (SEM) and cultural diversity perspectives, whereas domestic research focuses more on the topological analysis of space syntax and environmental behavior under rapid urbanization. (2) Regarding the causes of vitality decline, domestic small towns face the dual pressures of motorization encroachment and rural "hollowing out", while foreign counterparts are mostly trapped by functional zoning segregation and barriers to social integration. (3) For reconstruction mechanisms, domestic practices emphasize the physical spatial "City Double Repair" (ecological restoration and urban repair) and the tourism-oriented empowerment of historical contexts, whereas the West leans towards bottom-up, inclusive community placemaking. Future research urgently needs to integrate the multidimensional evaluation system of the international social ecology into the local context, constructing dynamic monitoring and intervention paradigms suitable for the scale of small towns.

Liang Dongyao, Su Lisha, Chen Simin, Zhang Meiting, Lin Yuxin, Zeng Shiqi, Liu Xinyu, Zeng Hongliang. Research Progress and Comparative Analysis of Street Vitality in Small Towns at Home and Abroad from the Perspectives of Space Syntax and Social Ecology. Academic Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences (2026), Vol. 9, Issue 4: 94-99. https://doi.org/10.25236/AJHSS.2026.090413.

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