Spatial Difference Studies and Driving Force Analysis of Rural Settlements in the Northwest Sichuan Plateau

Yuxiang Tan, Mingshun Xiang (), Haixia Lu, Linsen Duan, Jin Yang, Jiake Meng, Ao Li and Lanlan Deng
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Yuxiang Tan: College of Tourism and Urban-Rural Planning, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
Mingshun Xiang: College of Tourism and Urban-Rural Planning, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
Haixia Lu: College of Tourism and Urban-Rural Planning, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
Linsen Duan: College of Earth Science, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
Jin Yang: College of Tourism and Urban-Rural Planning, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
Jiake Meng: College of Mathematics and Physics, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
Ao Li: College of Tourism and Urban-Rural Planning, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
Lanlan Deng: College of Tourism and Urban-Rural Planning, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 9, 1-18

Abstract: The scattered, isolated, and closed nature of rural settlements in northwest Sichuan is a constraint on the high-quality development of rural areas. Determining the spatial differences and driving forces of rural settlements in this area is the essential prerequisite for promoting rural revitalization. In this paper, the methods of the nearest neighbor index, the Voronoi diagram, and the Geodetector are used to analyze the spatial distribution characteristics of rural settlements and explore the driving factors of their spatial differences. The key findings are as follows. (1) The rural settlements exhibit the feature of “an extensive dispersion with localized concentrations”. The spatial distribution is in the shape of dots, strips, and branches along the river valley. (2) The number and land use scale of rural settlements decreases from east to west. The spatial differences in settlement morphology have a clear feature that the settlement morphology along the river and road is more complex, while the settlement morphology in the plateau area and the river valley is relatively regular. (3) Mountain disasters and arable land resources have the greatest impact on the spatial differences of the settlements. The location and form of the settlements are greatly affected by the altitude and accumulated temperature, and the settlement scale is significantly affected by the traffic conditions and the scenic spots. The mutually reinforcing role of the driving factors is remarkable, especially the reinforcing effects of the enhancement between the arable land resources and other factors. The research results provide data support for the reconstruction, improvement, and high-quality development of rural settlements in this region.

Keywords: rural settlements; spatial distribution; Geodetector; Northwest Sichuan Plateau (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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