Constructing a “Clustered–Boundary–Cellular” Model: Spatial Differentiation and Sustainable Governance of Traditional Villages in Multi-Ethnic China

Yaolong Zhang () and Junhuan Li
Additional contact information
Yaolong Zhang: School of Geography and Urban-Rural Planning, Longdong University, Qingyang 745000, China
Junhuan Li: School of Architecture, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an 710055, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 20, 1-28

Abstract: Understanding the spatial patterns of ethnic inter-embeddedness is essential for promoting sustainable development in multi-ethnic regions. This study develops a novel “Clustered-Boundary-Cellular” typological model to interpret the spatial differentiation of traditional villages in China’s Hehuang region. Using an integrated approach that combines GIS spatial analysis (Kernel Density Estimation, Ripley’s K-function, and Standard Deviational Ellipse), spatial statistics (Global Moran’s I), and other statistical tests (Kruskal–Wallis tests and multinomial logistic regression), we categorized and analyzed 153 nationally designated traditional villages. The results indicate the following: (1) The villages exhibit significant spatial differentiation, falling into three distinct scenarios. Clustered–Isolation villages (107/153, 69.9%) are predominantly located in topographically constrained areas and display strong spatial clustering; Boundary–Permeation villages (24/153, 15.7%) are distributed along transport corridors and show the highest road density (0.55 km/km 2 ); Cellular–Symbiosis villages (22/153, 14.4%) occur in multi-ethnic cores areas and exhibit a relatively random spatial distribution. (2) This differentiation results from the synergistic effects of multidimensional drivers: natural environmental constraints (notably elevation and proximity to rivers), religious–cultural adaptation (Global Moran’s I analysis confirms the strong clustering of Tibetan and Salar groups, reflecting distinct religious spatial logics), and economic transition dynamics (transportation infrastructure serves as a key catalyst). This study demonstrates the value of the proposed model as an analytical tool for diagnosing ethnic spatial relations. The findings offer important insights and spatial guidance for formulating context-sensitive strategies for sustainable governance, cultural heritage preservation, and ethnic integration.

Keywords: ethnic embeddedness; spatial differentiation; traditional villages; “Clustered–Boundary–Cellular” model; sustainable governance; driving mechanisms (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/20/9268/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/20/9268/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:20:p:9268-:d:1774667

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().