Study on the spatial accessibility and influencing factors of traditional villages in the Central Plains Urban Agglomeration of China

Abstract

Traditional villages, as important carriers of rural tangible and intangible cultural heritage, have immeasurable economic and cultural value. However, complex geographical characteristics cause the spatial connection between traditional villages and the outside world to be inconvenient, and rapid urbanization ignores their development. Thus, the activation and utilization of traditional villages was difficult. Studying the spatial accessibility of traditional villages is important for development and utilization because of its theoretical and practical significance. A total of 696 traditional villages in the Central Plains Urban Agglomeration (CPUA) of China were taken as the research object, and kernel density estimation and the nearest neighbor index based on ArcGIS were used to analyze their spatial distribution characteristics. Then, the spatial accessibility time costs were calculated via the Amap API. Finally, the influence of each influencing factor was analyzed quantitatively via PCCs, OLS regression and GWR. The results showed that (1) the spatial distribution of traditional villages was clustered, and there was a high-value core-cluster area in the north and two subhigh-value areas in the central and southern parts. (2) The spatial accessibility level of traditional villages exhibited a “core-edge” pattern, decreasing from the core area to the edge area. (3) Factors that exhibited spatial heterogeneity. Influence from the largest to the smallest: slope, density of river, density of road, GDP, density of population, elevation. In addition, the elevation and density of rivers had the greatest impact intensity in the northeast, the slope had the greatest impact in the north, and the density of roads, GDP, and population had the greatest impact at the edge far from the core area.