合村并居背景下乡村聚落空间重构

Rural livelihood change has great influence on the scale, structure, and morphology of rural settlement land use, thus bringing new challenges to rural revitalization and settlement reconstruction. Sihe village of Tongwei County in mid-Gansu loess hilly region (China) was taken as an example here. Based on participatory rural appraisal data, we analyzed the structure and allocation of rural households’ livelihood assets as well as their livelihood diversity by using ecological asset, livelihood diversification index, and landscape pattern index models. We aimed to find a response mechanism between rural livelihood change and rural settlement land use change. The results might provide useful information for the selection of new village sites, reconstruction of rural settlements, and creation of livable rural environment. Results indicate that: (1) The total value of the average livelihood assets per household in the Sihe village increased significantly from 0.48 in 1988 to 1.288 in 2016. The four types of livelihood assets including natural, material, manpower, and financial assets changed with time. In 1988, the manpower asset was the most important type of livelihood assets, with value accounting for 76.67% of the total value of livelihood assets. With the extension of time, the proportions of the four types of assets in total livelihood assets became closer to each other. The livelihood diversification index of the Sihe village increased from 2.01 in 1988 to 3 in 2016, indicating the rural livelihoods became diverse; (2) Because of the dual influence of external environmental factors and the rural development policies of the country and the region, the livelihoods changed towards agricultural sector from 1988 to 2008, and the agricultural livelihoods tended to be diverse. The following trend of livelihood strategy change was observed: from diverse non-agricultural production group (IV) to agricultural and non-agricultural production group (III), then to diverse agricultural production group (II) and finally to agricultural production group (I). After 2008, the livelihoods changed towards non-agricultural sector, and the non-agricultural livelihoods tended to be diverse. This trend of livelihood change is opposite to that before 2008; (3) 2008 is the key year of livelihood change. Livelihood change caused changes in the scale, structure, and morphology of rural settlement land use, which eventually led to the change of rural residential land use.

Rural landscapes are changing rapidly, yet many assessments remain descriptive and weakly connected to planning instruments. This study connects rural landscape analysis with planning and management by examining post-earthquake transformations in Topaktaş (Tuşba, Van), a village redesigned and relocated after the 2011 events. Using ArcGIS 10.8 and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), we integrate DEM, slope, aspect, CORINE land cover Plus, surface-water presence/seasonality, and proximity to hazards (active and surface-rupture faults) and infrastructure (Karasu Stream, highways, village roads). A risk overlay is treated as a hard constraint. We produce suitability maps for settlement, agriculture, recreation, and industry; derive a composite optimum land-use surface; and translate outputs into decision rules (e.g., a 0–100 m fault no-build setback, riparian buffers, and slope thresholds) with an outline for implementation and monitoring. Key findings show legacy footprints at lower elevations, while new footprints cluster near the upper elevation band (DEM range 1642–1735 m). Most of the area exhibits 0–3% slopes, supporting low-impact access where hazards are manageable; however, several newly designated settlement tracts conflict with risk and water-service conditions. Although limited to a single case and available data resolutions, the workflow is transferable: it moves beyond mapping to actionable planning instruments—zoning overlays, buffers, thresholds, and phased management—supporting sustainable, culturally informed post-earthquake reconstruction.

Rural reconstruction plays a pivotal role in the revitalization of rural areas and the development of regions. Understanding the pattern and direction of rural settlement reconstruction is crucial for effectively coordinating urban and rural development, as well as promoting regional rural revitalization. The present study proposes a novel approach to elucidate the evolution and spatial reconstruction of rural settlements by integrating features of agglomeration effect and ecological effect. By employing GIS spatial analysis technology and ecosystem service value modeling, the research analyzes the combined spatial agglomeration and ecological value characteristics of rural settlements in an arid oasis area, specifically focusing on the Hexi Corridor. Based on the analysis, the study identifies specific rural settlement reconstruction zoning and directions for optimization, considering rural settlement accessibility. The study reveals three key findings: (1) There are significant differences in the scale density and spatial distribution of rural settlements across the Hexi Corridor. (2) The overall ecological environment quality is good, and there is significant spatial differentiation in the ecosystem service value, influenced by topographic factors. (3) The optimal layout mode for rural settlements in the Hexi Corridor is the combination type of ‘higher-ecological higher-density’. Based on the combined agglomeration effect and ecological effect features, the research determines the reconstruction scope of alienated rural settlements. Additionally, four predominant reconstruction modes are identified: urban agglomeration type, central village construction type, internal coordination type, and ecological protection type. The study proposes viable reconstruction paths for rural settlements based on these modes.

In the context of rural revitalization, it is of great significance for the implementation of a Rural Revitalization Strategy to carry out the research on scientifically identifying village types and clarifying the differences and pluralistic trends within villages. Taking Gaochun District of Nanjing in China as an example, this paper constructs an index system of development level and reconstruction intensity from a dynamic and static perspective, uses the polygon area method to calculate the comprehensive score of each index, divides village types based on the combination of development level and reconstruction intensity, and then puts forward the differentiated development strategies of various villages. The results show that the identification method of village types based on combined features is multi-dimensional and comprehensive, and the recognition results are more in line with the objective reality. Villages in Gaochun district have a medium overall development level and high overall reconstruction intensity. There are a large number of low-value villages with development level and high-value villages with reconstruction intensity. According to the three-step strategy of village type identification, the list of characteristic villages, the location of villages and the characteristics of index combination, five village types were identified: the characteristic protection type, the urban-suburban integration type, the agglomeration and upgrading type, the improvement and development type, and the relocation and merger type.

Ethnic villages are a multidimensional interactive space between cultural inheritance and modernization; analyzing their spatial reconstruction is fundamental for promoting agricultural and rural modernization and sustainable ethnic development. This study examined ethnic villages in Yongcong Township, Liping Country, from 2016 to 2022, focusing on changes in function and suitability under relocation through a function and suitability evaluation index. Case comparisons were made between administrative villages with high functional and suitability levels and those with resettlement sites. In 2016, ethnic villages followed a growth pattern of Yongcong–Dundong–Guantuan, with low patch density, dispersed distribution, and simple shapes. By 2022, functionality and suitability significantly improved, with an increase in village patches and larger patch areas shifting toward spatial aggregation. Horizontally, land use within reconstruction boundaries diversified by function, whereas vertically, housing structures were reorganized: non-settlement villages retained traditional and modern types while settlement villages combined both, leading to a shift from functional singularity to multifunctionality. Relocation-induced reconstruction may lag local knowledge systems and reduce well-being. Initially, government-led suitability enhancement dominates; gradually, villages increasingly internalize regional identity and competitiveness. By analyzing post-relocation village reconstruction, this study supports the integration of ethnic and regional dynamics, achieving high-quality sustainable development in minority regions.

Rural settlement consolidation (RSC) is an important tool for improving rural habitat environments, and the potential evaluation of RSC is the premise for rural settlement planning. This paper identified the potential sources of RSC in different reconstruction modes and built an influencing factor system for RSC. We analyzed the spatial differentiation patterns of the theoretical potential and the realistic potential, and we identified the factors influencing the potential realization based on an empirical investigation in China. Influenced by multiple constraints, the potential transition from theoretical to realistic was spatially differentiated and showed a spatial agglomeration at the village level. Rural depopulation had a direct impact on the theoretical potential of RSC, while the distance to the downtown, rural population, per capita GDP, and production and living conditions played an important role in the realistic potential. Particularly, rural settlement basic conditions, rural population, and arable land resources profoundly affected farmer exit willingness and the potential transition from theoretical to realistic. Four optimization paths for rural settlement reconstruction linking to land use policies were proposed, which could provide valuable information for rural settlement planning in socioeconomic transformation regions.

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Rural settlements are developing in the direction of functional diversification, driven by rapid urbanization, but also leading to a decline in their vitality as a result of the rapid concentration of rural population in cities. Therefore, this study proposed a theoretical framework to refine the optimization approach for rural settlements from the perspective of “production–living–ecological” functions (PLEF) and vitality. Taking a town in the farming–pastoral ecotone in northern China as a case, we evaluated the level of the PLEF of rural settlements. After exploring the functional requirements of villagers, we revealed the vitality of rural settlements based on social network analysis. The Tapio decoupling model was used to identify the optimization type of rural settlements considering the PLEF and vitality. The results showed that the PLEF of rural settlements was higher in areas with flat terrain, convenient transportation, and rich economies. Rural settlements closer to the central town were stronger in vitality. The PLEF of rural settlements was generally correlated with vitality, which means that rural settlements with a higher level of PLEF also had a stronger vitality. Rural settlements were classified into five types: suburban integration, characteristics protection, agglomeration and upgrading, general survival, relocation, and merger, according to the characteristics of a combination of PLEF and vitality. This study contributes to a deeper comprehension of the functional and structural characteristics of rural settlements and will be beneficial in guiding rural spatial reconstruction.

The spatial restructuring of rural settlements is conducive to the realization of rural transition and development. This study constructed a “point-line-surface” framework for the spatial reconstruction of the homestead in a typical mountain village and used the weighted Voronoi diagram and buffer analysis method to analyze. The results are as follows. (1) The development capacity of rural homesteads in Longfeng Village was divided into three levels: high, medium, and low. Among them, the high-level homesteads clustered in the north and south of the village in the form of a “T” and a long strip, respectively; the medium-level homesteads are mostly aggregated in the middle of the village; the low-level homesteads are mainly distributed along the Fenghuang Mountain. (2) The layout of homesteads in Longfeng Village was axis-oriented, which is manifested by the number and scale being in a gradient-decreasing pattern with the main road axis as the centerline. (3) According to the principle of “maximum” development capacity of the homestead, nine reconstruction units are divided. By calculating the location entropy, it is found that the dominant functions of each reconstruction unit mainly include supporting life services, operational production, ecological agricultural production, and traditional agricultural production, and there are obvious differences in the development patterns of homesteads in different functional units. (4) Based on the “point-line-surface” characteristics of the homestead, four reconstruction modes, namely, modern community type, field and garden integration type, road-pointing type, and traditional residential type, are summarized, and the reconstruction strategies are proposed accordingly. The “point-line-surface” framework of rural settlements is of practical significance and theoretical value, which can provide a decision-making reference for the optimization and reorganization of residential land space in villages of the same type in mountain areas. Moreover, the integrated and innovative framework proposed in the paper has also international significance, thanks to the possibility of replicating the research strategy and methodological approach in other contexts.

After the end of colonial era, which left the world closely linked, isolated rural hinterlands started to link with communication which gained momentum in 2nd half of twentieth century, wherein newly untied settlements indulged in restoration & reconstruction. Our rural areas ought to be developed into places that are sustainable in terms of social, economic, and environmental aspects, according to the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Rurban Mission (SPMRM). Through the provision of economic, social, and infrastructure benefits, the Mission aims to strengthen rural communities, resulting in the country's regional development being sustainable and balanced. Its goal is to "create a cluster of Rurban villages" while "developing a cluster of villages that preserve and nurture the essence of rural community life with an emphasis on equity and inclusiveness, yet remain compatible with the facilities perceived to be essentially urban in nature." This study helps to evaluate on-ground coverage of this mission, which will lead to take the desirable strategies for the optimum utilisation of the cluster development, for the further SPMRM future cluster developments.

Summary Sustainable development of many rural areas in Poland requires actions in the field of comprehensive spatial planning, supported by agricultural management works, in particular by land consolidation and exchange. This process stimulates the development of functions performed by these areas, among others in the social, environmental or economic domains. Changes in the ownership and use structure make it possible to separate functional and spatial areas. Work on improving the agricultural production space cannot be undertaken in all villages at the same time due to, for example, economic, technical or social conditions. Therefore, work to change the flawed spatial structure of land should be carried out in the right order, starting in the villages where the need is greatest. The aim of this study is to assess the spatial structure in the villages of the municipality of Trawniki with regard to the necessity of taking measures to improve the rural spatial structure. The scope of this study covers the municipality of Trawniki, located in the Lubelskie voivodeship, Świdnik county. The municipality consists of 11 cadastral districts with a total area of 84.16 km 2 , which accounts for 17.95% of the entire county’s area. An analysis and assessment of the spatial structure of the land was carried out for all the precincts, which included: the structure of land ownership, land use and land fragmentation, accessibility of parcels to roads and an index defining the geometry of the registered parcels. In order to illustrate the problem of land fragmentation in detail, a land fragmentation index was calculated for each surveyed village. In addition, the productivity index for arable land and grassland was also determined. The analyses provided a basis for further research into determining the urgency of land consolidation and exchange work.

This study examines the relationship between the space vitality of rural production, living, and ecology (SVRPLE) and comprehensive land consolidation (CLC), establishing a theoretical foundation for improving SVRPLE in rural areas. Building on this theoretical framework, we employed double-constraint spatial clustering and the three-dimensional magic cube method to zone the study area at the village level, facilitating the determination of CLC objectives and scheduling. We then applied an obstacle diagnosis model to identify key challenges within each zone for enhancing rural space vitality. The results indicate the following: (1) Theoretical analysis reveals the mutually reinforcing relationship between CLC and rural vitality. Efficiency-driven CLC enhances the vitality of rural spaces by optimizing the synergistic interactions between production, living, and ecological spaces. Rural vitality is both the core objective of and the guiding principle for the implementation of CLC. (2) The case study validates the proposed framework—”Vitality Status Evaluation—Vitality Enhancement Zoning—Land Consolidation Guidelines”—as a feasible approach for CLC strategy development based on SVRPLE. The zoning outcomes accurately reflect the unique conditions of different rural villages within the study area, providing a scientific and logical methodology for constructing a context-specific CLC strategy. (3) The zoning results, which incorporate CLC objectives and scheduling, yield differentiated CLC sub-strategies aimed at enhancing SVRPLE, offering both theoretical and practical support for CLC implementation in China, particularly in the ecologically fragile Qinghai Plateau. Overall, our research deepens the understanding of rural vitality enhancement pathways, supplements existing studies on rural vitality, and provides practical guidance for CLC.

In the post-Soviet period, social-economic differentiation in Russia has intensified, which is reflected in the concentration of population, capital and infrastructure in agglomerations and resort areas, while peripheral territories lose opportunities for development. This process has particularly affected small and medium-sized rural communities experiencing depopulation, declining employment and limited access to basic services. Thus, there is a system of uneven development, which consolidates differences between the center and the periphery. The Crimean Peninsula is a concentrated manifestation of such trends: differentiation of spatial development is reinforced by a combination of tourism and recreational specialization, differences in naturalresource conditions, and political-administrative transformations in the post-Soviet period. The contrast between coastal areas and large agglomerations, which concentrate investment and jobs, and rural settlements in the center of the peninsula, which experience population outflow and a lack of resources, makes the region illustrative for the analysis of territorial imbalances. The article identifies social mechanisms that determine differences in the dynamics of rural areas in Crimea. The case study is based on historical, geographical and social-economic analysis, statistical and archival materials, mapping and field observations. Spatial differentiation is considered as both a result of economic processes and a form of social inequality, which affects life strategies of rural communities and structure of local livelihood practices. The author shows that the transformation of settlement patterns in Crimea is accompanied by a reduction in the number of small villages, concentration of resources in a limited number of centers, and deepening rural-urban asymmetries. At the same time, there are compensatory mechanisms based on informal economy, horizontal mobility and local forms of mutual assistance, which explain the specifics of the Crimean rural transformation and the mechanisms of territorial differentiation in post-Soviet rural areas.

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This research aims to consolidate the effective connection between the achievements of poverty alleviation and rural revitalization and improve the land use and agricultural production conditions in Dashujiao Village, Tuobuka Town, Dongchuan District through the implementation of comprehensive territorial improvement projects. The research formulates targeted improvement measures by conducting detailed land use investigations and human resource assessments, combined with on-site surveys and the opinions of villagers. The key results show that the implementation of the project is expected to increase the area of effective cultivated land, improve the quality of cultivated land, improve infrastructure, and significantly increase grain yields and farmers' incomes. The conclusion is that this project will effectively promote local agricultural modernization and economic development and provide strong support for rural revitalization.

Land use is an embodiment of human socio-economic activities and represents a bridge between these activities and natural systems. Rural residential land represents a space for rural residents to reside in and exhibits spatial characteristics that evolve over time, which is proof of rural socio-economic development. As one of the most developed regions in China, cities along the Beijing–Hangzhou Canal experienced significant changes in rural residential land use from 1990 to 2020. This paper analyses the spatial differentiation of rural residential land in 21 cities on the Grand Canal. Then, it explores the driving factors of this land using spatial grid analysis and the geographic detector model. According to the spatial differentiation characteristics and the driving factors of rural residential land, the study proposed an improved potential model for rural residential land improvement. Lastly, it proposes three different forms of rural residential land based on the results. The study found that (1) the change in rural residential land in the northern part of the Grand Canal was more volatile than that in the southern part. The change in rural residential land from 1990 to 2020 conformed to the pattern of cultivated land–rural residential land–urban construction land. (2) Based on the driving factors of rural residential land, the land is divided into one-dimensional cities, two-dimensional cities, and three-dimensional cities. Circular, linear, and scattered cities of different sizes were affected by socio-economic factors, transportation accessibility, and the natural environment, respectively. (3) Based on the potential scale of rural residential land consolidation, different types of development strategies were proposed through research, including constructing large-scale villages, relocating and reconstructing new villages, and constructing high-quality villages, respectively. Enhancing the scientific planning of rural residential land and its efficiency and tapping into the potential of land consolidation can offer the protection of agricultural land and the integration of urban and rural areas in the new era.

The functional zoning of land comprehensive consolidation and the selection of consolidation paths are the key content of the current land and space planning, and it is also an important measure to achieve regional sustainable development. At present, the research system on land comprehensive consolidation is not yet mature. The previous research area is relatively small and not representative, and an effective method system has not been formed. Research on the selection of functional zoning and a consolidation path is also relatively scarce. There is an urgent need to construct the theory and method system of land comprehensive consolidation functional zoning and consolidation path selection. Taking Dongying City in China as an example, this paper constructs a zoning index system from four aspects including natural conditions, location advantages, social economy and land use. The entropy method is used to determine the weights, and GIS spatial data visualization is used to analyze the spatial distribution characteristics of the index system. Based on the analysis, the grey constellation clustering method is used to divide the study area into four types of land comprehensive consolidation functional areas, and the results of functional zoning are adjusted according to the ranking of comprehensive index values, the principle of maximum similarity, and the continuity of natural space. The research results show that: ① There are 10 functional zonings for urban development and ecological protection land consolidation, and the main consolidation path should be the ecological country park consolidation model, which can effectively serve the urban ecological construction. ② There are nine functional zonings for rural development and cultivated land conservation consolidation, and their consolidation path should be based on a comprehensive rural improvement model that enhances the quality of the village and the development, utilization and protection of cultivated land resources. ③ There are 18 functional zonings for cultivated land improvement and ecological protection land consolidation, and the main consolidation path should focus on the cultivated land ecological improvement mode that emphasizes the quality of cultivated land and the improvement of regional ecological functions. ④ There are four functional zonings for ecological conservation and fallow recuperative land consolidation, and their main consolidation path should be the land ecological restoration and improvement model of construction land reclamation, cultivated land ecological conservation, and conversion of farmland to forest and grassland. The research results can provide references for Dongying City to formulate land and space planning, and can be extended to the design of comprehensive land remediation projects in other regions. It is of great significance to promote regional sustainable and scientific development.

Rural land in Poland accounts for more than 90% of the area of the country and plays a very significant role. It is inhabited by 38.1% of the population. Unfortunately, these people are largely unemployed. The present status of the agricultural production space is a result of many centuries of human activity closely connected with social and economic, legal and political conditions. The spatial arrangement of land in the rural areas of central, southern, south eastern and eastern Poland, developed by historical processes, is characterized by the frequent occurrence of individual plot patchworks. An incorrect configuration of land owned by farmers considerably affects the profitability and effectiveness of agricultural production. The accession of Poland to the European Union offered many options for development to our country and in particular to the Polish countryside. Reconstruction of the defective spatial structure in Poland is one of the priorities of the EU’s agricultural policy. Numerous development programmes (SOP, RDP) are used for financing land consolidation and exchange works which are one of the basic tools for transforming ownership and structural relations in rural areas. With regard to the fact that agricultural land in Poland is greatly differentiated, particular attention should be paid to less favoured areas (LFA). It seems obvious that farmers in LFA are not able to generate the same earnings from crops as those generated by farmers in favoured areas. For the purposes of this publication, detailed surveys were carried out in the Milejów commune, Łęczna district, Lublin voivodship. Five villages in that commune were classified as less favoured areas. The analyses showed that Milejów is one of two communes in the Łęczna district with the smallest average area of plot owned by individual farmers. Based on the analysis of the structure of ownership and use, fragmentation and distribution of plots, as well as identification of less favoured areas, an alternative land development model was proposed, along with the reconstruction of the existing arrangement of land through comprehensive consolidation and exchange of land.

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The 2010 eruption of Merapi volcano in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, affected thousands houses within hazard areas and required inhabitant to resettle on safer village owned land. The concept of resettlement extended beyond housing replacement to relocating entire neighbourhoods to preserve their social environment. After years of inhabitation, relocation site of Plosokerep (Huntap Plosokerep) exhibits low occupancy, minimal spatial development, and weakened social cohesionin contrast with other relocation sites. This study examined the relationship between the relocation process and the social and spatial development of Huntap Plosokerep. The research method employed a mixed-method approach by integrating physical observations, in-depth interviews, and thematic analysis. Findings show that gradual relocation, combined with low community participation and cultural gap between rural context and urban layouts, has led to changes in neighbourhood spatial configuration, hindered habitation, and undermined social activities development in the new area, ultimately affecting the quality of housing and infrastructure.

The demolition and resettlement of urban villages is a new urbanization strategy widely used by the Chinese government. It is a massive development intervention designed and implemented by the Chinese government to promote the relocation and resettlement of the rural-to-urban population. However, limited research has focused on how rural residents adapt to their new urban lives within these large-scale relocation and resettlement projects. This paper aims to analyze this adaptation process. This study employs Lefebvre’s spatial production theory, based on a survey of 256 resettled residents in Qingdao, China, using a structured questionnaire and the statistical analysis software SPSS 24.0 to quantitatively evaluate the adaptability of resettled residents based on three dimensions: material space, institutional space, and social space. Descriptive statistics and correlation analyses are conducted to explore the relationships among these dimensions. Our findings reveal an association between high adaptation levels and urban resident identity recognition among the resettled residents. Our research findings raise more substantial concerns about the transparency of government decision-making and the community participation of resettlers in the current resettlement process.

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Rural development and restructuring are critical steps toward achieving optimal spatial adjustment for regional and rural revitalization. Using the rural regional system and the TOPSIS model supported by the entropy value method, this study analyzed the model of rural development and spatial restructuring in the study area from 2000 to 2020. The study examined the exchange and change and discussed the internal logical correlation and role relation among them. The results indicated that: (1) During the study period, the level of rural development in the study area increased considerably. The rural regional function shifted from a lower level of homogenous development to a higher level of diversified development, which are important features of the evolution of economic and social development levels. (2) Spatial restructuring was characterized by temporal continuity and non-linearity of stages. The overall shape transformed from “dispersion-homogeneity-differentiation.” (3) The coupling coordination degree of the two subsystems showed a constant rise to a low level, with apparent temporal heterogeneity. The type of coupling coordination became a benign optimizing direction with a significant level of heterogeneity. Rural revitalization depends on the coupling and coordination among economic, social, ecological, and spatial systems. The research results provide baseline information to decipher the path of rural revitalization at various degrees of coupling and promoting sustainable rural development.

Village resettlement communities (VRCs) are a special type of urban community that the government has promoted considerably during China’s rapid urbanization. This study uses the theory of the production of space as a basis to explore the processes and mechanisms of the physical and social space evolution of VRCs through a case study of Qunyi Community, one of the largest VRCs in Kunshan. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were employed in this study. Results indicate that the coupling relationship between local government power and diversified capital is the fundamental reason that promotes the production of macrophysical space. Moreover, the economic and social relationships among residents promote the reproduction of microsocial space. Landless farmers are the most important spatial producers in the microsocial space. The individual needs and cultural differences of immigrant workers also have significant effects on microspatial production. Furthermore, the production and reproduction of the physical and social spaces, respectively, of VRCs deduce the adjustment relationship among the urbanization processes of land, population, and individuals. Results also indicate that the urbanization of individuals appears to lag behind the previous two processes. This study can provide a theoretical basis for the spatial renovation and management optimization of VRCs, as well as the promotion of a new type of “people-centered” urbanization.

Socio-ecological systems in basin regions characterized by diverse cultural traditions and hierarchical village spatial structure are undergoing profound transformation driven by multifunctional demands and spatial restructuring. This study develops an analytical framework encompassing economic production, socio-cultural functions, and ecological potential to examine the spatial differentiation and socio-ecological coupling mechanisms within the Yilong Lake Basin, Yunnan Province. Through the entropy weighting method and a coupling coordination model, the framework evaluates the “lake–mountain–village” gradient of spatial differentiation. The results indicate that: (1) the overall coordination level of multifunctional systems in the region remains relatively low, exhibiting a decreasing trend from lakeshore to the mountain periphery; (2) village-level dependencies of spatial functions can be summarized into three coupling categories—associated with institutional embedding, self-organization, and value mismatch—revealing distinct socio-ecological interaction patterns; and (3) three coupling categories correspond to three differentiated governance pathways, namely coupling optimization, functional transition, and conflict mitigation. The study advances theoretical and methodological insights into the spatial differentiation and evolution of complex village systems, highlighting the nonlinear coexistence of interdependence and constraint among economic, social, and ecological functions. It further provides practical guidance for coordinated governance and sustainable spatial planning in similar rural and basin environments worldwide.

The article examines the transformational changes that took place in the Ternopil inter-district resettlement system as a result of the administrative-territorial reform and its transformation into a district resettlement system based on the newly formed Ternopil district. An analysis of the spatial features of the district formation, which took place by unifying the territories of the former districts of the central part of the Ternopil region, was carried out. Ternopil district included the territories of eight former districts, six of which (Berezhanskyi, Zborivskyi, Kozivskyi, Ternopilskyi Pidvolochyskyi, and Pidgayetskii) were completely included in the newly formed district, and two more districts, Terebovlyanskyi and Zbarazhskyi, with the majority of settlements and former councils. Out of the settlements of the former Terebovlyan district, only four villages did not become part of the newly formed Ternopil district. Communities were analyzed by types, number of settlements, and united councils. It was established that 25 united territorial communities included 492 settlements and 280 former councils. It is also stated that there are 7 urban and village communities and 14 rural communities in Ternopil district by type. The positions of communities in terms of area, number and population density have been established. It was revealed that the largest in terms of area, population, and number of settlements and councils that have merged are communities whose administrative centers have become the centers of former districts. The urban population, in addition to the Ternopil urban community, also prevails in the Berezhansk and Velikobirkiv communities. For the purpose of visual display and analysis of the main transformational changes and spatial features of placement according to the main indicators, appropriate maps were created with the help of GIS. As a result, it was found that the most densely populated communities are located on the outskirts of the city of Ternopil, as well as along a line to the north and south of it. The Berezhansk urban community in the western part of the district stands out separately, with a population density of 111 people per km2, which is the third indicator among the district communities. It was also established that the least densely populated communities are located on the periphery of the district, especially in its southwestern part. Zolotnikivska, Saranchukivska and Narayivska communities with a population density of 27 to 31 per km2 occupy the last positions not only in the district but also in the region according to this indicator. Pidgayetska urban territorial community is the least densely populated among all urban communities of the region – 35 people per km2. Keywords: Ternopil region, district, settlement system, administrative system, decentralization, territorial community, city, village, GIS technologies, QGIS.

This paper explores the application of Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to analyse the impacts of the Mid Manair Dam in Telangana, India. By leveraging GIS, this study provides a spatial analysis of land use changes, environmental impacts, and the socio-economic consequences of dam-induced displacement. The paper examines pre and post-construction land cover data to assess changes in agricultural patterns, water resource management, and ecosystem dynamics. It investigates the spatial distribution of displaced communities and the effectiveness of resettlement efforts. Through this GIS-based approach, the study offers a comprehensive understanding of the Mid Manair Dam’s impact, contributing to more informed decision-making for future development projects. The authors conducted an ethnographic study and collected narratives from the people affected. Geospatial mapping tools (GIS, RS, and GPS) were used to draw the different thematic maps. It can be seen from the maps that the lives and livelihoods of people in about ten villages were affected. The paper concludes by assessing environmental and socio-economic impacts using GIS technology and policy advocacy.

The January 2021 flash flood in Wake Village, Batu Benawa Subdistrict, Hulu Sungai Tengah Regency, South Kalimantan, was triggered by severe upstream environmental degradation, where deforestation accelerated erosion and landslides, leading to the collapse of natural dams. This study aims to develop a settlement revitalisation plan that integrates environmental standards and disaster mitigation strategies to strengthen resilience in floodprone communities. Using a mixed-methods approach that combines spatial analysis, stakeholder interviews, and a review of secondary data, the research identified key challenges: High building density that risks slum formation if reconstruction follows the old layout, topographical vulnerability in lowlying flood zones, and community resistance to relocation despite government support. Weaknesses in current mitigation measures were found in settlement patterns, green space provision, building structures, and utility infrastructure. To address these issues, five strategic actions are proposed: Optimising spatial and environmental layouts, constructing physical barriers with slope revegetation, developing adaptive drainage systems, promoting resilient building designs, and restructuring settlement layouts based on disaster risk reduction principles. The novelty of this study lies in combining land readjustment with infrastructure reinforcement as a dual strategy, offering a replicable model for enhancing settlement resilience against flash floods in vulnerable areas.

This research aims to explore how rural China evolves towards and how it is restructured in the digital era. Rooted in the systematically entrenched urban–rural duality, rural China was traditionally marginalised and received limited benefits from the country’s urbanisation development. Digital technologies are thus highly expected to facilitate novel opportunities towards rural reinvigorating development in China. This research first investigates the trajectories of rural China’s development via a retrospective lens, and argues that the evolution of rural China has the potential to transform from a top-down, policy-driven regime in the pre-digital era towards a bottom-up and top-down, technology and policy jointly driven regime in the digital era; and the digital era presents opportunities for rural in-situ urbanisation 2.0 in China, which is socio-economically and spatially distinct from the Township and Village Enterprise-based rural in-situ urbanisation of the reform era. This study further explores the possible restructuring of rural China in the digital era and argues that the digital force-enabled rural restructuring would be filled with dynamics and complexity and lie in multi-facets. This seminal research generates valuable references on the trajectory of rural society’s development in China, and the findings can help comprehend both opportunities and challenges that rural China embraces amidst the digital era. These references are essential for crafting evidence-based policy instruments to facilitate rural communities better leverage lucrative opportunities brought by digital transformation to catalyse leapfrog development and shake-off the image of decline.

In China, the “land-restructuring” policy provides balanced land for urban settlements that is strictly limited in expansion. Therefore, reassessing and adjusting the layout of rural settlements is of great practical significance for promoting rural revitalization. In this paper, taking Xian’an district in Hubei Province as an example, we use the weighted rank-sum ratio comprehensive evaluation method and spatial association analysis method to analyze the development level and spatial pattern of settlements. The results show that: (1) The development level of settlements in Xian’an shows obvious spatial differences, with a spatial pattern of ‘high in the core–low in the periphery’ and ‘high in the northwest–low in the southeast’, which is the result of the combined effect of natural geographical conditions and socioeconomic conditions; (2) The comprehensive development level of settlements, evaluated based on four major indicators—population size, resource endowment, spatial characteristics, and material construction—reveals the presence of cluster effects, distance decay effects, administrative hierarchy effects, and “long board” effects; (3) Within village communities, settlements with significantly high levels and settlements with significantly low levels have a similar geographic distribution and mosaic spatial patterns. Lastly, based on the overall development level and spatial association patterns of settlements, this article presents possible options for governmental settlement governance from the standpoint of rural building management.

Regional development issues can be reflected in land use and addressed through land use restructuring. It is commonly recognized that strengthening the role of small towns in the coordinated and sustainable development of counties, towns, and villages is effective in solving land use problems. However, relevant studies do not focus on the county space and lack scale extensions to reflect the role and status of small towns. In this paper, an analytical framework is developed and some research hypotheses are proposed from the perspective of “Scale-Space” interaction. Then, a county in central China is used as a case study to reveal the mechanism of rural land use restructuring by comparing the changes in land use structure in different locations in recent years. The study finds that under the constraint of the basic principle of “Requisition-Compensation Balance”, the county has reorganized the spatial and landscape pattern of the countryside through extensive “demolition of the old” and “construction of the new”. Among them, towns that are distant from the county center, while improving their cohesion, give full play to their role as regional sub-centers, and are expected to become an important force driving urbanization in the future.

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The global countryside constitutes a complex social–ecological system undergoing profound transformation. Understanding how such systems navigate transitions and achieve resilient, sustainable outcomes requires examining the interactions and adaptive behaviors of multiple actors. This study investigates the restructuring of rural China through a complex adaptive systems lens, focusing on the county of Lin’an in Zhejiang Province. We employ a middle-range theory and process-tracing approach to analyze the co-evolutionary pathways shaped by the interactions among three key agents: local governments, enterprises, and village communities. Our findings reveal distinct yet interdependent behavioral logics—local governments and enterprises primarily exhibit instrumental rationality, driven by political performance and profit maximization, respectively, while villages demonstrate value-rational behavior anchored in communal well-being and territorial identity. Crucially, this study identifies the emergence of a vital integrative mechanism, the “village operator” model, underpinned by the collective economy. This institutional innovation facilitates the synergistic linkage of interests and the integration of endogenous and exogenous resources, thereby mitigating conflicts and alienation. We argue that this multi-agent collaboration drives a synergistic restructuring of spatial, economic, and social subsystems. The case demonstrates that sustainable rural revitalization hinges not on the dominance of a single logic, but on the emergence of adaptive governance structures that effectively coordinate diverse actor logics. This process fosters systemic resilience, enabling the rural system to adapt to external pressures and internal changes. The Lin’an experience offers a transferable framework for understanding how coordinated multi-agent interactions can guide complex social–ecological systems toward sustainable transitions.

Rapid urbanization in China has intensified spatial and social disparities between urban and rural areas, posing major challenges to sustainable rural development. Traditional top-down rural construction and evaluation models often neglect villagers’ everyday practices, resulting in mismatches between spatial planning and actual use. This study develops a cross-scale, bottom-up framework for assessing rural construction through social network analysis (SNA), taking Xiongfan Village in Dawu County, Hubei Province, as a case study. At the village scale, the comparison between the “Public Space Structure Network” and the “Villagers’ Space Usage Behavior Network” reveals a significant mismatch between spatial compactness and behavioral dispersion, with high-frequency activities concentrated along the north–south axis while peripheral and east–west spaces remain underutilized. At the township scale, GPS-based analysis shows that the revitalization of Xiongfan transformed it from a peripheral node into a central hub, restructuring the network into a new pattern of “characteristic towns—traditional villages—ecological scenic areas.” These findings highlight the dual role of rural construction in both meeting residents’ daily needs and fostering regional integration. The proposed cross-scale SNA framework not only advances methodological tools for evaluating rural construction but also provides practical guidance for inclusive, resilient, and sustainable urban–rural development in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Abstract The synergetic development of urban and rural construction land is always an important issue. We propose a collaborative optimization model (COMRU) of rural residential land consolidation and urban construction land expansion, which is a coupling model of cellular automata (CA), genetic algorithms (GA), and the Lewis turning point theory. This model regards the rural population transfer as a scenario and generates a new quantity and space allocation system for the population and the land-use types in the study area. The optimized result will balance the development of urban and rural construction lands to ultimately reduce the income gap between urban and rural areas and promote the rationality of the spatial distribution of urban and rural construction lands. We applied COMRU to Huangpi District in the city of Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province, People's Republic of China and obtained three important results: (1) After optimization, the scattered rural settlements were effectively consolidated and large amounts of land resources were released, thereby supplementing cultivated and urban construction lands; (2) The urban–rural income ratio decreased significantly, indicating a considerable reduction in the income gap between the urban and rural areas; (3) The structure and function of the construction lands were improved, leading to the improved equity of urban and rural public services. The final space optimization allocation program generated by COMRU provides a reference for the sequence of rural settlement consolidation and urban spatial planning.

In the context of rural depopulation, spatial reorganization of settlements is widely recognized as a critical strategy to alleviate the human-land contradiction and enhance land use efficiency in the black-soil region. Using Yushu County as a case study, this paper explores an approach to the spatial optimization of urban–rural settlements in the black soil region. Currently, the urban–rural settlement system exhibits a distorted structure characterized by an excess of small settlements and a scarcity of large and medium-sized settlements, while the rank-size curve illustrates the phenomenon of “raising head, craning neck and drooping tail.” Rural development potential displays a pronounced high-high and low-low aggregation pattern. In light of this, the consolidation of settlements should be implemented at two scales: administrative villages and towns. In areas with high potential for rural development, merging natural settlements into the central settlement within an administrative village is recommended. In areas with low potential for rural development, the relocation and consolidation of natural settlements should be guided by the ideal service radius of central settlements within a town. This approach could preserve the original social relations to the greatest extent, thus facilitating the effective implementation of rural restructuring strategies.

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This study examines the spatial structure of rural areas to evaluate the demand for land consolidation and exchange, using the Zagnańsk commune in Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, Poland, as a case study. The commune's land use is dominated by forested areas (60.16%), followed by arable land (20.15%), highlighting both its natural resources and agricultural significance. The analysis identifies substantial land fragmentation, with 40.12% of private parcels under 0.10 ha, and a lack of road access to 39% of parcels, especially in districts like Kaniów and Gruszka. Land tenure is primarily divided between state-owned (59%) and privately owned (36.41%) lands, with significant variations across cadastral districts. Soil quality assessments reveal productivity indices ranging from 21.47 to 45.90 for arable land and 26.25 to 43.13 for grasslands, underscoring regional disparities. The study develops a ranking of consolidation needs, identifying Kaniów, Gruszka, and Kajetanów as priorities due to high fragmentation and accessibility issues, while Długojów is deemed least urgent. Findings emphasize the necessity of targeted land management strategies to optimize agricultural efficiency and spatial organization. Prioritizing consolidation efforts can address key challenges, including parcel geometry and accessibility, to enhance rural development.

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Due to the lack of unified planning and rectification in rural settlements, a large amount of land has been idle and wasted. Implementing the optimization of rural settlement layout and intensive and efficient use of land is a strategic choice to promote the construction of beautiful rural areas and coordinate urban-rural development. Scientific evaluation of development potential is the prerequisite and foundation for the optimization of rural settlement layout. The current classification optimization of rural settlements often only relies on the static status of the settlements, lacking a comprehensive consideration of the development and evolution laws and potential of rural settlements. To this end, it is planned to conduct a systematic study on the evolution, driving factors, and development potential of rural settlement spatial pattern in Shandong, revealing the characteristics and mechanisms of the evolution of rural settlement spatial pattern, and enriching the theoretical research on rural settlement spatial pattern in Shandong. At the same time, studying the evolution characteristics of rural settlement spatial pattern and proposing optimization types and corresponding strategies for rural settlement spatial pattern can make the research on rural settlement spatial pattern optimization more targeted and feasible, providing reference for the planning and layout of rural settlements in Shandong.

Comprehensive land consolidation (CLC) is a strategy to promote the intensive, efficient, and sustainable use of land, and is of great significance in repairing degraded land in oases, reversing the decline of the countryside, and activating multiple values of land use. However, how to scientifically assess and zoning management of CLC in dryland oases remains an open question. In this study, a comprehensive analytical framework was established to assess the characteristics of land‐use transformation and the potential for CLC using remotely sensed and geospatial data and spatial analysis methods, a multi‐objective territorial differentiation model, and collaborative path for CLC in oasis villages was proposed. The following key results were obtained. (1) From 2009 to 2018, urban and rural settlements in the hinterland of the Weiku Oasis expanded by 40 km2, and shrub forests and grasslands in the oasis‐desert transition zone shrank substantially by 21.13 km2. The newly cultivated farmland in the oasis‐desert transition zone only offset 62.9% of the occupied farmland in the hinterland of the oasis. (2) The pattern of comprehensive rural land consolidation potential in the Weiku Oasis was consistent with territorial differentiation, with a gradient decrease from the hinterland of the oasis to the desert. The average potential for Comprehensive land consolidation (PCLC) index was 0.31. (3) Three consolidation priorities and six consolidation types were identified for the proposal of 14 combined modes of CLC. Territorial differentiation with respect to the combined modes was discussed. Overall, this study provides useful insights for promoting efficient and sustainable utilization of oasis land resources and implementing zoning management.

Potential endowment and constraint bottom line are the core elements of the evaluation of the suitability of village construction land. The scientific and reasonable measurement of the suitability degree and its optimization simulation from the quantity, scale and spatial layout are necessary for demarcating the boundary of village construction land and the preparation and implementation of village planning. This study choose typical combination of urban and rural Chuzhou in Anhui province jurisdiction 49 administrative villages for the research scope, build “potential-constraint” model under the framework of village construction land suitability evaluation index system and measure appropriate degree, further optimization simulation and differential control strategy, in order to guide the village construction land scientific and reasonable layout. The results show that: (1) the village collective income and land use intensity have a great impact on the potential of village construction land, the proportion of permanent basic farmland, the distance from the organized town and the population loss rate have a great impact on the binding force of village construction land; (2) The proportion of suitable, unsuitable and suitable areas of village construction land is 38.63%, 27.56% and 15.60% respectively, the overall distribution pattern of suitability is “high in the east and southwest, South-Northeast Low”; (3) The eastern high-suitable area adopts the rural urbanization mode and optimizes the layout in a “group” style, The central low suitable area adopts the mode of “teng village and land reduction” and continuously improves the level of intensive land use, In the southwest, it is suitable for villages to form a “central village” layout mode based on location and economic development. Taking the adjustment of the quantity, scale and spatial layout of village construction land in the urban and rural fringe as the main context and implementing the optimization simulation of village construction land under the mode of “linking man and land together”, in order to provide theoretical exploration and technical support for the overall layout of urban and rural construction land and the delineation and implementation of “three districts and three lines” in village planning.

Based on the goal of achieving a classified promotion of rural revitalization in China’s Comprehensive Rural Revitalization Plan (2024–2027), this study presents a framework for a comprehensive sustainable development assessment system using multi-source data. This framework mainly adheres to the principles of settlement-type identification and spatial optimization strategies. The proposed framework is applied to Sangxu Town in eastern China to divide the settlements into five types and then optimize the spatial layout of rural settlements by employing spatial point pattern analysis, weighted Voronoi diagrams, and an extended breakpoint combination model. This study shows that, firstly, the overall development level of settlements in Sangxu Town is relatively high, but the distribution is uneven, with higher levels in the central and eastern regions and lower levels in the west. Secondly, based on the sustainable comprehensive development levels, 14 removal-type settlements (accounting for 27.45%), 21 control and retention-type settlements (41.18%), 7 agglomeration and upgrading-type settlements (13.73%), and 5 suburban integration-type settlements (9.80%) were identified. Thirdly, the activity intensity of residents is generally low in areas with low nighttime light intensity. The number of rural settlements was reduced to 37 after relocation, freeing up 94.91 hectares of homestead land—a reduction of 9.51%. This research improves the application of big data technology in identifying types of rural settlements and optimizing layout, providing experience for achieving sustainable development in rural areas in China.

Land consolidation (LC) is a sustainability-oriented policy tool designed to address land fragmentation, inefficient spatial organization, and ecological degradation in rural areas. This research proposes a Production–Living–Ecological (PLE) spatial utilization efficiency evaluation system, based on an integrated methodological framework combining Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Entropy Weight Method (EWM), Attribute-Weighting Method (AWM), Linear Weighted Sum Method (LWSM), Threshold-Verification Coefficient Method (TVCM), Jenks Natural Breaks (JNB) classification, and the Obstacle Degree Model (ODM). The framework is applied to Qian County, located in the Guanzhong Plain in Shaanxi Province. The results reveal three key findings: (1) PLE efficiency exhibits significant spatial heterogeneity. Production efficiency shows a spatial pattern characterized by high values in the central region that gradually decrease toward the surrounding areas. In contrast, the living efficiency demonstrates higher values in the eastern and western regions, while remaining relatively low in the central area. Moreover, ecological efficiency shows a marked advantage in the northern region, indicating a distinct south–north gradient. (2) Integrated efficiency consolidation potential zones present distinct spatial distributions. Preliminary consolidation zones are primarily located in the western region; priority zones are concentrated in the south; and intensive consolidation zones are clustered in the central and southeastern areas, with sporadic distributions in the west and north. (3) Five primary obstacle factors hinder land use efficiency: intensive utilization of production land (PC1), agricultural land reutilization intensity (PC2), livability of living spaces (PC4), ecological space security (PC7), and ecological space fragmentation (PC8). These findings provide theoretical insights and practical guidance for formulating tar-gated LC strategies, optimizing rural spatial structures, and advancing sustainable development in similar regions.

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The connotation of county-level land consolidation is centered around human beings, based on ecological protection and restoration, with coordinated development of multiple elements and dimensions, promoting urban-rural integration and high-quality development of county-level space. This study started from the perspective of territorial spatial integration and analyzes the concept and connotation of urban fringe areas based on comprehensive land consolidation, revealing the important significance of land consolidation for the high-quality development of urban-rural transition areas. Explored the goals and priorities of land consolidation from two aspects: functional supplementation and urban-rural integration, and clearly proposed that ecological governance and restoration should be the core; Based on Google Earth Engine (GEE) and Geographic Information System (GIS), quantitative analysis was conducted on the spatiotemporal changes in ecological quality before and after land consolidation in the project area, clarifying the impact of comprehensive land consolidation on ecological quality. From 2010 to 2020, the RSEI of the comprehensive land improvement project in Shichuan River Basin showed a continuous upward trend, increasing from 0.475 to 0.592, an increase of 24.63%. The area with poor ecological level decreased by 95.07%, and the ecological environment quality in the eastern part of the study area was significantly higher than that in the western part, achieving significant results in ecological construction.

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A systematic assessment of the impact and mechanisms of Land Consolidation policy on ecological environment can provide valuable insights for optimizing territorial spatial development and restoring ecological functions, both in China and globally. Utilizing 2015–2022 township-level panel data from Zhejiang Province, this study employs satellite remote sensing to construct an Ecological Vulnerability (EV) index. We empirically examine the impact of Whole Region Comprehensive Land Consolidation (WRCLC) on EV and its transmission channels by applying a multi-period Difference-in-Differences (DID) model and a mediating effect model. The results indicate that the implementation of WRCLC pilot policies significantly reduces EV, a finding that remains robust after parallel trend tests, placebo tests, and other robustness checks. The mediating effects within the “Element-Pattern-Effect” framework indicate that the transition of land elements toward ecological functions and the absence of significant land use conflicts at the pattern level are key mechanisms driving these outcomes. Furthermore, the study reveals that WRCLC exerts a significant negative spatial spillover effect on adjacent areas. It is therefore recommended to promote this policy, providing valuable insights for land consolidation initiatives in other Chinese provinces and developing countries worldwide.

Comprehensive land consolidation (CLC) has become an effective tool for promoting the coordinated development of production, living, and ecological spaces (PLES) in rural China. Given the remarkable territorial differentiation, planning strategies that are geared towards local conditions are indispensable for implementing CLC projects. This study employs the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model to simulate the horizontal competition among PLES in Chongqing. The suitability evaluation index system for PLES was developed using natural ecological data, socio-economic data, and land use data from Chongqing Municipality. The results show that: (1) Based on the principles of productivity, livability, and sustainability, the suitability of PLES in Chongqing is classified into highly suitable, moderately suitable, generally suitable, unsuitable, and extremely unsuitable areas. The spatial distribution of suitability across different levels in Chongqing exhibits certain degrees of overlap, intersection, and clustering. (2) Based on the different resistance relationships, 1031 townships in Chongqing were divided into seven types of CLC areas. The northeastern and southeastern regions of Chongqing Municipality exhibit distinct ecological and functional advantages, whereas the northern and western parts of the city are characterized by greater multifunctionality. (3) Tailored CLC measures are suggested for various suitability scenarios, aligning with local conditions and planned developments. The MCR model and PLES theory integrated zoning methods for CLC are practicable and effective, providing a scientific foundation for the construction of land consolidation plans in Chongqing and important references for regional sustainable development.

Rural industrialization is one of the core drivers of urban and rural spatial evolution and economic transformation in China. Given the background of stock and reduction planning, the development of rural industrial land, which has long relied on land inputs to increase production and inefficient expansion, is facing severe constraints and challenges. How to improve the spatial performance of rural industrial land and promote industrial upgrading and intensive land use have become vital issues for the healthy development of rural areas. This paper draws upon smart shrinkage theory to provide an analytical framework for the intensive-use-oriented performance evaluation of rural industrial land, unlike the evaluation method of efficiency orientation for industrial land, which emphasizes the core goal of the input and output of production factors per unit area. Based on the analysis framework, this study explored the parcel-microscale performance evaluation methods for rural industrial land, and the evaluation index system construction covers the four dimensions of economic performance, social performance, ecological performance, and land use structure performance. Wujiang District of Suzhou City was used as a case study to carry out a comprehensive performance evaluation and analyze the differences in RILP in space and industry. Based on the evaluation results, the key problems of rural industrial land were identified, and corresponding optimization strategies for rural industrial land are proposed from the aspects of land use control, spatial agglomeration, and industrial upgrading. This study intended to address the current major national strategic needs and solve the real dilemmas faced in the process of rural industrial land development. It is hoped that the study will provide a theoretical reference for the transformation of rural industrial land and policy-making for rural revitalization.

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Against the backdrop of an urban-rural dual structure, governance structure significantly influences the fairness and sharing of land value increment profits from land consolidation in various regions. This paper develops a spatial-institutional analytical framework, reflects on the traditional government-led land quota planning management mechanism and advocates optimizing governance structures in land consolidation to facilitate urban-rural element flows and the sharing of land value increment profits. This paper selects two comprehensive land consolidation cases in the Fenghua District and Cixi City of Ningbo, representing government-led and village collective self-organized governance structures. The research shows that the Fenghua case adopts a government-led state-owned enterprise coordinated governance structure, which state-owned enterprises bear operational risks and the majority of profit sharing, while village collectives, as landowners, are insufficiently protected in benefit sharing. The Cixi case employs a government-embedded village-town governance structure, with the village collectives as the main operating body, allowing collective construction land to enter the market to ensure the sharing of community profits. Both governance structures promote the bidirectional flow of urban-rural land resource elements; the former significantly drives urban development, while the latter ensures better benefit sharing for village collectives. The research proposes that optimizing governance structures and improving land quota allocation mechanisms can further stimulate various entities’ participation in land consolidation and land value activation.

Eliminating poverty and achieving social justice are global concerns. China has focused on common prosperity. Comprehensive land consolidation is a potential policy tool that can contribute to common prosperity, but its effectiveness and implementation methods are yet to be verified and discussed. Therefore, we construct an analytical framework to understand how comprehensive land consolidation promotes common prosperity. The pilot area for comprehensive land consolidation in Ningbo City is used as a qualitative case study. The research results indicate that comprehensive land consolidation focuses on development and sharing to promote high-quality socio-economic development, social fairness, and justice. The paths for achieving development included the following: (1) a network governance structure consisting of multiple entities to enhance land governance; (2) various consolidation activities were conducted at the town scale to optimize the functionality and spatial pattern of public spaces; and (3) enabling the flow of urban and rural factors for improved resource allocation efficiency and providing an impetus for industrial development. The paths for achieving sharing included clarifying collective land ownership and promoting land transactions to provide diverse land values and ensure a shared distribution. This research provides new insights applicable to other Chinese cities and numerous developing countries engaged in land consolidation to address social distribution issues.

Abstract Spatial planning and arrangement work of rural areas is constantly being renovated to improve the living conditions, land distribution and to facilitate work in this area by reducing the costs of transport. The most effective solution is consolidation and exchange of land, which is a difficult and time-consuming process. However, it significantly facilitates everyday functioning of the inhabitants of the village. It assumes reduction of plots of land belonging to the farm by increasing the area of other plots, regulating the shape, ensuring access to the public road and shortening the distances of individual farmland to their habitats (built on site). The purpose of this work was the analysis of land consolidation and exchange process for the village of Lukowa with the use of Geographical Information System (GIS) tools. Primary aim set at the beginning of the project is to compare the state before the land consolidation and the design of the parcel posting after consolidation. QGIS free software has been used to solve this problem. Two basic activities were carried out to compare the distance between built-up land and the remaining farmland. For this purpose, two analyses were performed: network analyses assuming the calculation of distance along the shape of roads and linear analyses determining the shortest distances between plots on a straight line. The work considers the real land distribution, the calculation of which is a time-consuming task. Many factors must be considered to accurately determine the correct distances. It is shown what difficulties and problems occur during the collection of data for analysis, with the correct indication of habitats and indicating the road network or aggregation of adjacent plots of one owner.

The consolidation of land to improve the agrarian structure and provide for sustainable rural development is a complex and multi-faceted process, and its efficiency depends on a considerable number of factors associated with its respective stages of desk studies and fieldwork. In order to ensure the highest-quality concepts and their efficient implementation, various measures are undertaken to improve, among other things, the methods for acquiring, collecting, and processing spatial data representing elements of reality saved in cadastral databases. There are a wide variety of available solutions oriented towards land consolidation improvement, but most of them refer to modifications that are difficult to implement due to, for instance, high costs, high technical requirements, and the absence of relevant legal regulations. Our study aimed to find a practical and applicable solution to a material problem in terms of land consolidation projects in Poland, a task associated with the necessity of converting cadastral database objects so that they were suitable for appraising the value of land, and designing new farmsteads based on the value of land held by particular participants of the land consolidation project. It involved the development and implementation of a self-designed algorithm for automated processing of auxiliary land-use/soil-valuation class objects into separate classes representing soil class contours and land use contours, in compliance with the current regulations governing the structure of the cadastre in Poland. The work resulted in the development of an innovative tool, making it possible, among other functions, to align object-generating methods as preferred by the administrator of the cadastral database. The designed algorithm model reduces data processing time to several seconds, while simultaneously eliminating the risk of error. The tool was thoroughly evaluated and then implemented at the Subcarpathian Office of Land Surveying and Agricultural Areas in Rzeszów, which is in charge of land consolidation projects in south-eastern Poland.

Optimizing the spatial patterns of rural settlements is crucial for rural development and revitalization. Enhancing the internal spatial configuration of these settlements necessitates a comprehensive understanding of their micro-scale spatial characteristics. This study develops evaluation indicators and methodologies to quantify rural settlement spatial patterns by analyzing their multidimensional aspects. The research utilizes Huanglong Town in Dayu County, Jiangxi Province, as a case study for exploring micro-scale spatial patterns and proposing corresponding optimization models. The research employs remote sensing image processing and GIS spatial analysis to collect data on the study area. The results indicate that rural settlements in Huanglong Town generally form clustered patterns with moderate spatial structure intensity and order. Notably, spatial heterogeneity is observed across the northern mountainous area, the central plain and low hilly region, and the southern hilly area. Based on these findings, the study categorizes rural settlements in Huanglong Town into four optimization models: stable improvement, internal potential exploitation, controlled expansion, and relocation and withdrawal. Each model is associated with differentiated optimization strategies. By integrating analyses of spatial form, structure, and order, this study reveals the intrinsic spatial characteristics of rural settlements, offering a systematic approach to guide their spatial optimization.

Against the backdrop of global rural decline and China’s Rural Revitalization Strategy (2017–2050), this study examines the spatial form evolution and development mechanism of Central Village in Huotong Town, Ningde. To achieve this, it employs field surveys, spatial mapping, and hierarchical element analysis to analyze the village’s scale, architectural texture, street interfaces, and landscape nodes. Results show three evolutionary stages: pre-2017 traffic-guided disorderly expansion, 2017–2020 policy-driven orderly planning, and post-2020 stock optimization, forming an “oval radial” structure constrained by the southern hills and Huotong River. The spatial structure shifted from a “kinship-based agglomeration” to a multi-center model, yet contradictions like historical texture damage and excessive street commercialization emerged. Its development is driven by four linked factors: policy, the market, socio-culture issues, and nature. This study offers references for similar rural settlements’ spatial planning and sustainability.

In recent years, the spatial and temporal patterns of rural settlement expansion in China have shifted significantly due to rapid urbanization and industrialization. This study examines rural settlement expansion in China from 2000 to 2020, using the Landscape Expansion Index (LEI) and GIS spatial analysis to assess changes in land use scale and related factors. The findings reveal that: (1) From 2000 to 2020, China saw a rapid and large-scale expansion of rural settlements, with the total area increasing by 40,322.74 km², 87.42% of which resulted from outlying expansion, indicating a clear diffusion trend. (2) The movement of rural settlements has predominantly followed a southeast–northwest axis, focusing on the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, with a clockwise rotation shift. (3) Settlement expansion has been primarily concentrated in low-elevation, waterfront, and road-adjacent areas, where GDP per capita and population density significantly influence settlement patterns. These results offer valuable insights for optimizing the spatial distribution and industrial restructuring of rural settlements, as well as for guiding rural spatial planning and industrial policy development.

This study analyzes the spatiotemporal dynamics of rural settlement evolution in Guangdong Province, China, examining their transformation amid rapid urbanization and industrialization over the past 20 years. Rural settlements serve as primary spatial carriers for production and living activities, embodying multiple functions including production, living, ecological, and cultural aspects. Using GIS-based analytical tools, including landscape pattern indices, average nearest neighbor index, kernel density estimation, and geographical detector methods, we examined settlement evolution patterns and their driving factors. Results show a continuous decline in settlement numbers, while patch areas exhibited a U-shaped trend of decreasing then increasing. Settlement patterns shifted from “reduction” to “integration”, with intensifying spatial agglomeration over time. The Pearl River Delta and Eastern Guangdong regions followed similar trajectories, reflecting the impact of urbanization and industrialization on rural development. Multiple factors, including natural conditions, socioeconomic variables, and locational accessibility, drove these changes. The spatial distribution of rural settlements demonstrates an overall trend of agglomeration, which has gradually intensified over time, leading to significant variations in settlement density across different regions. The findings reveal significant regional disparities and temporal changes in settlement patterns, highlighting the complex interplay between rural transformation and urban development. This research contributes to understanding rural transformation processes in developing countries and emphasizes the need for differentiated approaches in spatial planning and rural revitalization strategies to address the challenges of disordered land expansion and population hollowing while promoting sustainable rural development.

China’s rural revitalization strategy has entered a new stage of development, in which optimizing the layout of rural settlements constitutes both a critical component and an urgent task for promoting integrated urban–rural development. Important ecological function areas play a vital role in maintaining ecological security; however, research focusing on the evaluation and optimization of rural settlement suitability within these regions remains limited, thereby constraining their sustainable development. Accordingly, this paper selects Shiyan City, situated within the core water source area of China’s South-to-North Water Diversion Project, as a case study. From an ecological perspective, a suitability evaluation system for rural settlements is developed, specifically tailored to important ecological function areas. This system integrates ecological factors including geological hazards, vegetation coverage, soil and water conservation, and soil erosion. Utilizing GIS spatial analysis and the minimum cumulative resistance model, the study assesses the suitability of rural settlements within these important ecological function areas. Furthermore, it proposes corresponding optimization types and strategies for rural settlements in such areas. The findings indicate the following: (1) The rural settlements in the study area demonstrate a “large dispersed settlements and small clustered settlements” distribution pattern, exhibiting an overall high-density agglomeration, though their internal layout remains fragmented and disordered due to geographical and ecological constraints. (2) The spatial comprehensive resistance values in the study area exhibit significant heterogeneity, with a general pattern of lower values in the north and higher values in the south. The region was categorized into five suitability levels: high yield, highly suitable, generally suitable, less suitable and unsuitable. The highly suitable areas, despite their limited spatial extent, support the highest density of rural settlements. In contrast, unsuitable areas occupy a substantially larger proportion of the territory, reaching 46.83%. These areas are strongly constrained by topographic and ecological factors, limiting their potential for development, and the spatial layout of villages requires further optimization, with emphasis placed on ecological conservation and adaptive sustainability. (3) Rural settlements are categorized into four optimized types: Urban–rural integration settlements, primarily located in high yield areas, are incorporated into urban development plans after optimization. Adjusted and improved settlements, mainly in highly suitable areas, enhance service quality and stimulate economic vitality post-optimization. Relocation and renovation settlements, including those in generally suitable and less suitable areas, achieve concentrated living and improved ecological livability after optimization. Restricted development settlements, predominantly in unsuitable areas, focus on ecological conservation and regional ecological security post-optimization. This study integrates ecological function protection factors with spatial optimization zoning for rural settlements in the study area, providing scientific reference for enhancing residential safety and ecological security for rural residents in important ecological function areas.

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With the deepening of new-type urbanization, the spatial evolution of traditional rural settlements in China has intensified and faces reconstruction. This study investigates the spatial evolution characteristics of rural settlements in the central Henan region, aiming to enrich the geographic information system of the rural settlement spatial pattern and provide theoretical and practical references for the development and transformation of rural settlements in Henan.Using kernel density estimation and GIS spatial analysis methods, with 2000, 2010, and 2020 as time nodes, this study calculates and analyzes the population density of rural settlements to characterize their spatial scale. Comparative analysis is employed to determine the spatial evolution characteristics of rural settlements in the central Henan region over the past 20 years.The results indicate that: (1) From 2000 to 2020, the density of rural settlement distribution in the central Henan region generally showed a decreasing trend, following the pattern of "declining from north and south towards the center," with a decrease in density first observed in the southern and northern regions, followed by a decline in the central region; (2) The distribution characteristics of settlements have shifted from being distributed across the entire region to becoming concentrated, ultimately focusing in the central region, specifically Xuchang City and Pingdingshan City.The spatial pattern of rural settlements in the central Henan region still faces issues such as high settlement density, uneven development with a focus on the southern and northern regions while neglecting the central region, and a lengthy evolution cycle. To address these issues, the following optimization strategies are proposed: optimize the spatial pattern of rural settlements in central Henan, upgrade settlement density; strengthen development in the central region; prioritize the construction of small towns to promote local urbanization.

Using She County, a national new-type urbanization comprehensive pilot area, as a case study, this research develops a multi-layered “static–dynamic–driver” analytical framework based on rural settlement data. By integrating GIS spatial overlay, landscape pattern indices, average nearest neighbor analysis, kernel density estimation, and cold–hotspot analysis, the study systematically characterizes the spatiotemporal evolution and driving mechanisms of rural settlements from 1980 to 2020. The results reveal that: (1) settlement evolution exhibits distinct phase-specific patterns, encompassing four primary types of transformation: localized expansion and consolidation, individual disappearance, rapid expansion, and the emergence of new settlements with peripheral extension; (2) landscape pattern and aggregation analyses indicate continuous growth in both total area and number of settlements, accompanied by increasing irregularity and fragmentation of patches; settlement size aggregation shows a fluctuating decline followed by recovery, overall spatial clustering intensity trends upward, and high-density kernel areas shift from the central–western to the northwestern region; (3) under multi-factor interactions, settlement layouts transitioned from an early “survival–location dependent” pattern dominated by natural constraints and transportation accessibility, to a mid-stage rapid aggregation driven by economic development and public service provision, ultimately evolving into a composite pattern balancing economic drivers and ecological constraints. The findings underscore the nonlinear superimposed effects of natural environment, economic development, transportation accessibility, public service availability, and ecological carrying capacity, providing a robust scientific basis for optimizing rural settlement spatial arrangements and informing rural development policy under the context of national new-type urbanization.

Rural settlements are the spatial carriers of rural multifunctionality, and various issues related to livability are the main manifestations and causes of unbalanced and insufficient rural development. In the new era, it is imperative to promote the livability of rural settlements with the implementation of rural revitalization. However, compared with urban settlements, there are still fewer studies on the livability of rural settlements, especially those in disaster-prone areas; thus, this paper takes the upper reaches of the Minjiang River as the study area. It adopts GIS spatial analysis and the model of minimum cumulative resistance, etc., to conduct a livability evaluation and construct an optimization model by innovatively taking five aspects into account including site security and resource endowment. The results show that: (1) The overall livability of the region is relatively good, and the main factors affecting the livability are site security and economic affluence; (2) The location of rural settlements was highly livability-oriented, and the area of rural settlements in the moderate- and high-livability zones accounted for more than 90%; and (3) The key to improving the livability of rural settlements lies in the construction of development synergy, disaster management, cultural preservation and industrial upgrading, and thus, four types of settlement livability enhancement are proposed. The research results provide theoretical support for the construction of livable villages in the upper reaches of the Minjiang River and similar mountainous areas.

To address the prominent issues faced by a significant portion of China’s rural settlements—includ-ing the absence of unified scientific planning, inadequate infrastructure, and severe regional conflicts between human activities and land resources—This study employs multiple methodologies— including the Thiessen polygon analysis, GIS kernel density method, entropy weight method, spatial analysis techniques, and buffer zone analysis—to examine the influencing factors and spatial distribution characteristics of rural settlements in Hulan District. It constructs and evaluates an indicator system for assessing the suitability of rural residential areas in Hulan District from two primary perspectives: natural environmental factors and locational environmental factors. This approach objectively explores the suitability evaluation of rural settlements. Rural settlements in Hu-lan District are primarily driven by locational and natural environmental factors, exhibiting distinct plain-type agglomeration characteristics. Therefore, proposing regulatory measures for existing rural settlement land use within limited spatial constraints holds significant importance for promoting rural production development in Hulan District.

Land fragmentation poses a great challenge for food security to all countries around the world, especially China. Land consolidation (LC) is an effective measure to solve the fragmentation problem and achieve the cultivated land use transition (CLUT), and thus LC has become an important means to ensure food security in China. From the perspective of human-land system, this study investigated the impacts of different LC projects on the CLUT, including spatial transition, management transition, element transition, and function transition. Based on survey data of 427 farmer households from Yuyang District in Shaanxi province, China, this study estimated the net effect of “ One Household One Plot ” (OHOP) model and “ One Village Group One Plot ” (OVGOP) model on CLUT by the propensity score matching-difference in differences (PSM-DID) method. In addition, the interactive mechanism of elements of CLUT under the LC was revealed through the interpretive structural modeling (ISM). The results indicated that the LC had significant effect on CLUT, and that the OVGOP model had a better promoting effect on CLUT than OHOP model. Additionally, an ISM-based structural model containing eighteen elements revealed that CLUT was a complex interaction process among multiple elements. Meanwhile, cultivated land area and plot number were identified as the fundamental elements in CLUT. This study proposes relevant policy recommendations, which provides China ’ s experience for other developing countries to formulate LC strategies.

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Urban–rural integration development (URID) is the solution to the excessive urban–rural gap, unequal and insufficient development in urban–rural areas, along with the process of dynamic and balanced urban–rural growth. The promotion of high-quality development and sustainable development in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) depends heavily on the scientific development of an evaluation index for urban–rural integration (URI), the quantitative measurement of the level of URI, and the accurate identification of the spatial layout of URI. The URI indicator system is built using the new development philosophy, and 94 cities in the YRB are used as samples. The spatial and temporal evolution characteristics of the URID in the YRB were studied from 2010 to 2020 using the entropy value method and coupled coordination model. The study shows that from 2010 to 2020, along the YRB, both urban and rural development (URD) levels generally increased. However, regional differences increased and development levels varied, showing a trend of uneven development between provinces. Overall, the degree of URID was increasing and still low, but there are three main types of urban–rural coupling and coordination (URCC) that are relatively stable: barely coordinated, primary coordination, and on the verge of disorder. Primary coordination replaced barely coordinated as the dominant type over time. Finally, it is suggested that urban and rural regions should not be “managed separately” but rather should be viewed as a cohesive organic whole; to drive urban cluster construction and spur rural development, to further close the urban–rural divide, reliance on the city centre is necessary. Concurrently, this encourages the transfer of farm labour and supports the coordinated growth of urban–rural industries; investment in advantageous industries is strengthened; the construction of URIs should be promoted at a more microscopic city and county level; and strong support is provided to achieve high-quality sustainable development of the YRB. It is important to put into practice the new development philosophy, investigate the fundamental causes of the growing urban–rural divide, change the development strategy, and optimize this new development path.

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Amid China’s rural–urban integration and rural revitalization, the Centralized Residence of Farmers Policy (CRFP) emerges as a pivotal tool to optimize rural spatial structure and land-use efficiency, yet its implementation risks—particularly risk coupling effects—remain underexplored. This study addresses this gap by constructing a holistic risk assessment framework and empirically examining CRFP in L Town, Shanghai; it employs a multi-method approach, integrating the Delphi method, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and Cumulative Impact Model (CIM) to develop and validate a comprehensive risk assessment framework. This framework evaluates five key dimensions: policy content, implementation subjects, resource guarantees, target groups, and environmental adaptation. Empirical analysis of relocated farming households in L town reveals that the overall risk level of CRFP implementation falls within the moderate-risk range. Key identified risk factors identified include public opinion control, clarity of implementation standards, communication feedback accessibility, reliability of information resources, and effectiveness of implementation strategies. Based on these findings, the study proposes several risk mitigation strategies: aligning policies with local realities to promote high-quality social development, fostering collaborative digital governance through multi-stakeholder engagement, ensuring law-based policy formulation with transparent and supervised processes, enhancing public input through effective interest communication mechanisms, improving information dissemination with inclusive public participation, and adopting flexible implementation strategies. This research addresses fragmentation issues in the existing literature with a unified indicator system and provides actionable solutions that offer significant theoretical and practical value for advancing rural revitalization in the context of urban–rural integration.

This study employs various comprehensive research methods to thoroughly analyze the relationship between urban–rural integration and sustainable development, proposing corresponding optimization pathways. First, a literature review method systematically examines existing theories on urban–rural integration and sustainable development. Then, it identifies the main problems and challenges in the current process of urban–rural integration, thereby laying a theoretical foundation for the study. Second, a case study approach is adopted, selecting Caoqiao Village in Fengtai District, Zhenggezhuang Village in Changping District, and Xihoujie Village in Majuqiao Town, Tongzhou District of Beijing, as typical cases. These cases are analyzed in depth to explore their implementation outcomes and validate the practical results of different development pathways. Subsequently, based on specific data from Beijing’s urban–rural fringe, this study utilizes data analysis methods to conduct an in-depth examination of land use changes, ecological environment status, and influencing factors, with a focus on analyzing relevant data from 2009 to 2023. This analysis reveals the dynamic relationship between urban–rural integration and sustainable development. Regression analysis is adopted to quantify the effect of urban–rural integration on sustainable development, thus exploring the correlation between urban–rural integration, spatial planning, economic development, financial development, and sustainable development. Finally, targeted management recommendations and policy optimization plans are proposed based on the principles of ecological protection red lines and urban development boundaries. The results indicate a significant positive correlation between urban–rural integration and sustainable development levels, with a regression coefficient of 0.48, demonstrating its role in promoting sustainable development. The levels of spatial planning and economic development also positively affect sustainable development, with coefficients of 0.32 and 0.27, respectively. Moreover, financial development and social investment levels show a certain positive relationship. It is noteworthy that although the correlation between foreign trade and sustainable development levels is the lowest, the interconnections between other variables further emphasize the key position of urban–rural integration in overall sustainable development. This study offers a theoretical basis and empirical support for spatial planning in the urban–rural fringe of Beijing, ecological environment protection, and scientific policy formulation, thus advancing sustainable urban development.

Establishing a territorial space governance system that supports URI is essential for modernizing national governance capacity and systems. It also serves as a critical strategic measure to promote sustainable development in both urban and rural areas. The current research has not adequately explored the theoretical mechanisms and pathways of territorial spatial governance, resulting in challenges in providing the necessary theoretical foundations and practical guidance for advancing URI. The methods used in this study include theoretical analysis, logical deduction, and field research. The findings are as follows: (1) The key characteristics of TSG are the synergy of governance entities, the comprehensiveness of governance objects, the diversification of governance methods, and the systematization of governance content. Territorial spatial governance, driven by multiple stakeholders, influences the structure and functional arrangement of urban and rural territorial systems through means such as spatial planning, rights allocation, and top-level institutional design. (2) The essential process and core driving path to promote URI involve the interaction of urban and rural elements, the complementarity of their functions, and the reciprocity of their values, all guided by territorial space governance. (3) In the case study area, TSG facilitates the construction of an orderly element circulation channel, coordinating land circulation and capitalization, promoting local urbanization, and aligning residential with industrial development. This results in a complementary urban–rural functional structure, multifunctional rural development, and an urban–-rural model characterized by stable interest relationships and balanced service facility layouts.

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Integrated urban-rural development is an intrinsic requirement for advancing Chinese-style modernization. As the areas where urban and rural elements converge most densely and interact most frequently, rural areas on the periphery of large cities serve a dual function: absorbing the spillover of urban functions and driving the transformation of rural development. The level of spatial governance in these areas directly influences the effectiveness of urban-rural integration strategies. Against the backdrop of current urban-rural integrated development, this paper examines the challenges facing spatial governance in rural areas on the periphery of major cities. It then analyses pathways for optimizing such governance, with the aim of providing theoretical support and practical guidance for promoting high-quality, sustainable development in these rural areas within the context of urban-rural integration.

With the rise of rural revitalization, rural service centers, specialized in governing and serving rural areas and characterized by certain cultural attributes, have emerged in rural planning. This article aims to analyze and evaluate the spatial distribution of these rural service centers across different regions, including their distribution patterns and the specific layout and zoning of micro-spatial functions. A combination of field surveys, data collection, and Geographic Information System analysis is employed to investigate the spatial characteristics of rural service centers in China. The study found that: (1) the number of rural service center construction projects across Chinese provinces has increased since 2017, peaking in 2021; and (2) the regional distribution varies significantly. Eastern and southeastern provinces such as Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Guangdong exhibit a high concentration of rural service centers, attributed to strong economic development, compact urban construction bureaus, and high land-use efficiency. In contrast, the western and northeastern provinces—including Gansu, Heilongjiang, and Jilin—show a lower concentration, due to factors such as challenging natural environments, climate conditions, and slower economic development. This spatial distribution clearly reflects regional disparities in economic development, population density, and levels of urban and rural infrastructure.

Rural revitalization is a strategy proposed by China to address the imbalance and insufficiency of urban and rural development. The purpose of village system reconstruction is to optimize the rural spatial structure and realize the efficient allocation of resource elements, which is of great significance to the overall revitalization of rural areas. This research adopts the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), the multi-index comprehensive evaluation method, and the GIS spatial analysis, taking Zhiyang Town as a case, reconstructing the index selection of the village-level system, putting forward a set of complete classification systems through the selecting village scale, resource conditions, social economic development level, industry, and other related data index, and building a village-level evaluation system. The 25 villages in Zhiyang Town were divided into four classes. Different development paths are proposed for different levels of villages. The evaluation of the village development level and reconstruction path of the village hierarchy system has certain practical guiding values for rural construction, which are of great significance for realizing rural revitalization.

Village classification is the first step to implementing China’s rural revitalization (RR) strategy, and understanding the geographic differences in the distribution of village types helps to grasp the pathway of their unique development. This study spatialized 9250 villages in Jilin Province (divided into six types) of China, and their distribution characteristics and influencing factors were examined using methods such as kernel density estimation, Ripley’s K function, the co-location quotient, and Geodetector. The results indicate that the spatial distribution balance and density of village types are different. All types of villages show an agglomeration distribution pattern, but the scale and intensity vary. There is a strong spatial association between agglomerative promotion (AP) and stable improvement (SIm) villages, as well as between characteristic protection (CP) and prospering frontier and enriching people (PE) villages. The factors affecting their distribution include terrain undulation, the percentage of arable land, the distance to the county town, road network density, population density, gross domestic product (GDP), and industrial enterprise density. The influencing factors for the distribution of village types are closely related to the function of each village. Based on the differences in the spatial distribution and influencing factors of different village types, policy suggestions are given for classified development.

In response to the fifth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, the government of Sichuan province purposes the idea of constructing “happy and beautiful new village” all around Sichuan. Confronted with the problems such as fragmented industrial structure, backward supporting environment and ecological environment in the construction of new villages, the government of Sichuan province puts forward the planning and research of “Happy New Village” based on the idea of “Integrating production, life and ecology”, hoping that the research would play a leading role in the construction of new countryside. Based on the concept of Integrating of Production, Life and Ecology and combined with layout of the settlements industrial agglomeration with functional upgrading, facilities completing, ecological conservation, this project would not only perfect the spatial structure, industrial development but also the programming of infrastructure and public service facilities. In doing so, the development pattern of overall regional spatial layout of “one area two corridors three strips six groups” was formed. At the same time, the harmonious development among production, living and ecology in Baizhai village was realized.

Specialized villages, which are centered around product supply and driven by market demand, serve as critical vehicles for rural industrial revitalization. This study utilizes a sample of 13,702 national-level industrial villages to examine the spatial distribution patterns of specialized villages in China across multiple dimensions. The research employs the Spatial Design Network Analysis (sDNA) model and the Coupling Degree Model to identify regional characteristics of product supply accessibility and the alignment of market demand in these villages. Finally, the paper integrates the spatial analysis results of both supply and demand to propose an optimized layout strategy for specialized villages at the county level. The findings indicate the following: (1) Specialized villages in China exhibit extensive coverage and strong agglomeration, with a high concentration in the eastern region, forming seven core zones arranged in an arc. The provinces with the highest numbers of specialized villages are Zhejiang, Heze, and Yiwu. (2) The spatial distribution of specialized villages demonstrates multi-scale differentiation and spatial autocorrelation, with the most uneven distribution and strongest local autocorrelation occurring at the county level. (3) The zoning results for both supply and demand aspects are closely related to economic divisions and population geographical boundaries, forming nine combination types. These can further be classified into four distinct zones: Demonstration Leading Zones, Optimization Development Zones, Collaborative Promotion Zones, and Cultivation Guidance Zones. (4) Each zone type plays a unique strategic role in the revitalization of rural industries and necessitates differentiated development strategies for specialized villages. The conclusions of this study provide a foundation for optimizing the spatial layout and zonal development of specialized villages in China.