Revealing the Priorities for Rural Infrastructure Maintenance Through Complex Network Analysis: Evidence from 98 Counties in China

Zheng Li, Yaofu Huang, Muzhe Pan, Yaxin Pei and Xun Li ()
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Zheng Li: School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
Yaofu Huang: School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
Muzhe Pan: School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
Yaxin Pei: Hubei Strategic Planning Center, Wuhan 430000, China
Xun Li: School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 8, 1-20

Abstract: Driven by the Rural Revitalization Strategy, China has substantially increased its investment in rural infrastructure. Nevertheless, widespread issues such as underutilization and inadequate management persist. Recognizing rural infrastructure as a complex and interdependent system, this study applies complex network analysis to evaluate data from 98 counties, treating each county as an analytical unit and various infrastructure types as network nodes. A rural infrastructure interdependency network is constructed to examine the interdependencies among infrastructure and the overarching structural characteristics of the system. The analysis demonstrates that the rural infrastructure network exhibits pronounced modularity, with three distinct functional clusters: (1) electricity–water–broadband internet, (2) public service infrastructure, and (3) housing–environmental governance infrastructure. Furthermore, by employing a network dismantling approach that simulates facility management failures through the progressive removal of nodes, this study identifies paved roads and electricity supply stability as critical nodes within the rural infrastructure network. The failure of these infrastructures triggers systemic fragmentation and functional collapse, indicating their pivotal role in maintaining overall network integrity. These findings offer theoretical support for the optimization of infrastructure maintenance strategies, with the ultimate goal of enhancing the overall resilience and sustainable development capacity of rural infrastructure systems.

Keywords: infrastructure; complex network analysis; network dismantling; rural China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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