A Systematic Approach for the Conservation and Sustainable Activation of Traditional Military Settlements Using TRIZ Theory: A Case Study of Zhenjing Village, Arid Northern China

This study aims to examine the methodological applicability of the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) in the conservation and revitalization of traditional military settlements. Using Zhenjing Village in Jingbian County as a case, the research constructs a systematic framework for contradiction identification and strategy generation. Methods: Through preliminary surveys, data integration, and system modeling, the study identifies major conflicts among authenticity preservation, ecological carrying capacity, and community vitality in Zhenjing Village. Technical contradiction matrices, separation principles, and the Algorithm of Inventive Problem Solving (ARIZ) are employed for structured analysis. Further, system dynamics modeling is used to simulate the effectiveness of strategies and to evaluate the dynamic impacts of various conservation interventions on authenticity maintenance, ecological stress, and community vitality. The research identifies three categories of core technical contradictions and translates the 39 engineering parameters into an indicator system adapted to the cultural heritage conservation context. ARIZ is used to derive the Ideal Final Result (IFR) for Zhenjing Village, which includes self-maintaining authenticity, self-regulating ecology, and self-activating community development, forming a systematic strategy. System dynamics simulations indicate that, compared with “inertial development,” TRIZ-oriented strategies reduce the decline in heritage authenticity by approximately 40%, keep ecological pressure indices below threshold levels, and significantly enhance the sustainability of community vitality. TRIZ enables a shift in the conservation of traditional military settlements from experience-driven approaches toward systematic problem solving. It strengthens conflict-identification capacity and improves the logical rigor of strategy generation, providing a structured and scalable innovative method for heritage conservation in arid and ecologically fragile regions in northern China and similar contexts worldwide.