Distribution Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Rural Settlements in Metropolitan Fringe Area: A Case Study of Nanjing, China

Abstract

Rural settlement is the core content of rural geography research. Exploring the spatial distribution characteristics and influencing factors of rural settlements can provide reference for the optimization of rural settlements. This paper selected Nanjing as a typical case, based on remote sensing image, using R statistics, kernel density analysis, hot spot detection analysis and semi variogram function; the paper analyzed the spatial, scale and morphological distribution characteristics of rural settlements; and preliminarily analyzed the influencing factors of rural settlements distribution in the metropolitan fringe area. The results showed that: (1) The spatial distribution of rural settlements generally presented a “multi-core” center, and a spatial distribution trend of stepwise decline from the core to the periphery, showing a typical “core-edge” structure. (2) There was a significant spatial difference in the scale distribution of rural settlements, which was characterized by a gradual decrease in the scale of rural settlements with the increase in the distance from the central urban area. (3) The morphological distribution of rural settlements showed spatial differentiation, and the morphological types of settlements mainly included strip, arcbelt, cluster and scatter. (4) The distribution of rural settlements was affected by such factors as terrain, river system, traffic, economic and social development, cultural and policy. The distribution of rural settlements had the location orientation of “low altitude, water affinity and road affinity”. The increase in agricultural population, rural economic development, cultural and policy factors played an important role in the distribution of rural settlements in the metropolitan fringe area.

Study of permanent residential management in Tondo Village, Palu City

“…This settlement pattern is clustered to form small and diffuse units [10]. The centralized pattern is a pattern of residential settlements in which the houses are built at one point.…”

An analysis of the spatial evolution and influencing factors of rural settlements along the Shandong section of the Grand Canal of China

“…B. Zhang, 2020); villages in poor areas in southwest China (L. Yao, Li, Chen, Wang, & Peng, 2020); oasis villages in Xinjiang (Lin, Lei, Wu, Yang, & Li, 2020); and various other types of rural settlements in terms of size, density, and shape. Scholars have analysed the evolution of size, density and shape, and the relationship between their evolution and indicators such as slope elevation, agricultural technology, non-agricultural population, industrial output value, and net income per capita.…”

“…In the research regarding the evolution of rural settlements' spatial pattern and its influencing factors, a large number of scholars have used spatial analysis methods, geographically weighted regression models, and geographic detectors to investigate rural settlements in suburban counties (C. C. Liu, 2020); traditional settlements in Youshui Basin (Du & Guo, 2020); rural settlements in Hexi, Gansu (R. Y. Li, 2020); rural settlements in wetland landscapes (K. Y. Li & Peng, 2020); rural settlements on urban islands (Cui & Yan, 2020); rural settlements in the poverty belt of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei (Tao, Zhang, Xu, Zhang, & Zhang, 2020); rural valley settlements (Xu & Zhao, 2020); rural settlements in near urban areas (Chen, 2020), Dingziwan area in Jiaodong (J. B. Zhang, 2020); villages in poor areas in southwest China (L. Yao, Li, Chen, Wang, & Peng, 2020); oasis villages in Xinjiang (Lin, Lei, Wu, Yang, & Li, 2020); and various other types of rural settlements in terms of size, density, and shape. Scholars have analysed the evolution of size, density and shape, and the relationship between their evolution and indicators such as slope elevation, agricultural technology, non‐agricultural population, industrial output value, and net income per capita.…”

Spatiotemporal Changes and Influencing Factors of Rural Settlements in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River Region, 1990–2020

“…In recent years, many scholars have found that the distribution and evolution of rural settlements are largely influenced by a range of factors, including the natural environment and socio-economic conditions [14,15,17,39], and there is a significant regional disparity in the dominant factors [40,41]. With the continuous advancement of socio-economic conditions and technological progress, the constraining effect of natural conditions, for example, slope and water sources, on rural settlements has gradually diminished [17], while the influence of socio-economic factors has become more dynamic and diversified [42,43].…”

“…As the dynamic evolution of rural settlements has been widely known as a result of a combination of factors in the complex socio-economic transformation [7], this paper, therefore, will attempt a larger scale analysis. Though knowledge about the spatial patterns of rural settlements has been explored in provinces [45,46], metropolitan areas [39], and various urban agglomeration areas [47][48][49], systematic research on the changes of rural settlements in the three provinces located in the MRYRR remain scarce, and research on the influencing factors, especially from the aspect of socio-economic factors, are even more inadequate. The MRYRR is located in Central China with diverse landform types.…”