Spatial Morphology Evolution of Rural Settlements in the Lower Yellow River Plain: The Case of Menggang Town in Changyuan City, China

Abstract

This study investigated the spatial pattern evolution of the rural settlement system in the town of Menggang, China, based on settlement patches extracted from remote sensing data for four time points between 1990 and 2018. Five typical villages were selected to study their spatial textures from point to surface. The reasons for the evolution of the rural settlements were examined as well. The results indicated that the number of settlement patches in Menggang decreased, the area of a single patch expanded, and the scale of the rural settlements continued to expand. Settlements were distributed randomly, but an agglomeration trend began to appear. The plain terrain had little restriction on settlement site selection. Cofferdams and embankments were the limiting factors for settlement expansion, which led to the compact development of the settlements. Economic development, population growth, and family miniaturization were positive factors for the expansion of the rural settlements. In the typical villages, cluster settlements and cluster settlements with a banded tendency had higher spatial utilization efficiency. Several high-density building centers were formed in the settlements, and the trend of residential buildings was mainly northeast–southwest. The plain terrain had little effect on the orientation of buildings, single-building areas, or the public spaces of the settlements. Traditional culture and traffic routes affected the orientation of the main buildings of folk houses. This study has theoretical and reference value for the structure optimization and sustainable development of rural settlements in the lower Yellow River plain.

Study on spatial form evolution of traditional villages in Jiuguan under the influence of historic transportation network

“…Based on Pu's method [22], a shape index S = 2 is set as the critical value for a weighted analysis of the aspect ratio and shape index, as shown in Table 3. S reflects the complexity of the village's boundaries [11]. The formula for the shape analysis index S is as follows:…”

“…Other scholars utilized spatial syntax theory to delve into elements such as integration, connectivity, and choice within village streets and lanes, thus uncovering the intricate connections between village thoroughfares, public activity hubs, and historical environmental elements [10]. From an architectural vantage point, research centers on elements such as building orientation [11], building arrangement [12], and the texture of the village [13]. Some scholars described the morphological changes of settlements by calculating the aspect ratio of the bounding rectangles of settlement boundary shapes for different years, building density, courtyard space ratio, fractal dimension index, and shape analysis index, thereby providing a scientific and accurate quantitative description of settlement morphology [14].…”

Study on spatial form evolution of traditional villages in Jiuguan under the influence of external traffic changes

“…Based on Pu's method, a shape index S = 2 is set as the critical value for a weighted analysis of the aspect ratio and shape index, as shown in Table 3. S re ects the complexity of the village's boundaries [11]. The formula for the shape analysis index S is as follows:…”

“…Other scholars utilized spatial syntax theory to delve into elements such as integration, connectivity, and choice within village streets and lanes, thus uncovering the intricate connections between village thoroughfares, public activity hubs, and historical environmental elements [10]. From an architectural vantage point, research centers on elements such as building orientation [11],…”

Spatial Morphological Characteristics of Ethnic Villages in the Dadu River Basin, a Sino-Tibetan Area of Sichuan, China

“…Breaking down administrative boundaries under the influence of multi-ethnic patterns and cultural exchange has gradually become a hot topic, and the research concept has changed to a combination of "geographic environment" and "ethnic cultural integration." At present, scholars are mainly focused on areas with special value in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau [16], the Western Sichuan Plain [17], the Gannan area [18], the mountainous region of southeastern Guizhou [19,20], and the Yellow River Basin [21]. More scholars analyze the internal organizational structure and functional form of settlements from the perspective of folk public space [22].…”