Spatial–Temporal Evolution, Impact Mechanisms, and Reclamation Potential of Rural Human Settlements in China

Duan Ran, Qiyu Hu () and Zhanlu Zhang ()
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Duan Ran: School of Public Administration and Policy, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China
Qiyu Hu: School of Public Administration and Policy, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China
Zhanlu Zhang: School of Public Administration and Policy, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 4, 1-37

Abstract: In China’s pursuit of modernization, the government has introduced the rural revitalization strategy to combat rural decline, foster balanced urban–rural development, and reduce the urban–rural gap. Rural human settlements, as key components of this strategy, play a vital role. This paper examines the types and characteristics of human–earth relationships within rural settlements, emphasizing their significance. Using national land use and population census data, we analyze the spatiotemporal evolution of rural settlements at the county level, investigating landscape pattern changes, assessing the degree of coupling coordination between rural population and settlements, categorizing relationship types and features, and estimating the potential for remediation. Our findings reveal a growing trend in the scale of rural human settlements, particularly sourced from arable land, with significant expansions observed in the North China Plain and Northeast Plain, indicating potential for farmland reclamation and village consolidation. Landscape patterns of rural human settlements exhibit increased fragmentation, complex shapes, and aggregation. We categorize the utilization of rural human settlements into two types, each with four distinct features: human–land coordination is observed in regions characterized by either a higher rural population and larger rural settlement areas, or lower rural population and smaller rural settlement areas. Human–land trade-offs are evident in areas where there is either a higher rural population and smaller rural settlement areas, or lower rural population and larger rural settlement areas. This provides valuable insights for the Chinese government’s context-specific implementation of the rural revitalization strategy. It also serves as an experiential reference for the governance of rural human settlements in other developing countries.

Keywords: rural human settlements; human–earth system; spatial and temporal evolution; impact mechanisms; cultivated land reclamation; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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