Spatial Pattern of Traditional Villages in Remote Mountainous Areas and Their Development Potential Assessment: The Case of Enshi, China

Fangjie Liu, Wei Xu and Qiang Niu ()
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Fangjie Liu: School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
Wei Xu: School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
Qiang Niu: School of Urban Design, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 3, 1-19

Abstract: Remote mountainous areas, due to their unique geographical and climatic environments, have ideal conditions for the preservation of traditional villages. However, economic development is also limited as a result. Rationally utilizing traditional village resources to drive economic development in remote mountainous areas is a key topic in academic research. This paper explores the spatial pattern and spatial evolution mechanisms of traditional villages in Enshi Prefecture by factor analysis and K-means clustering algorithm. It proposes a preliminary method for evaluating the development potential of traditional villages based on influencing factors of their evolution, considering four aspects: (1) Traditional villages in Enshi Prefecture were mainly formed in the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. (2) Through the study of the spatial pattern of traditional villages in Enshi Prefecture, water systems, ethnic compositions, road network densities, and national policies have significant impacts. (3) A preliminary assessment of the development potential of traditional villages in Enshi Prefecture shows that there are 25 high-potential villages, 58 medium-potential villages, and 9 low-potential villages. Corresponding construction strategies are proposed for each category. This study revealed the influencing factor of the spatial pattern of traditional villages, underscoring the sustainable development and offering practical guidance for traditional villages in remote mountainous areas.

Keywords: traditional villages; spatial pattern; influencing factors; development potential (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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