ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Environ. Sci.
Sec. Land Use Dynamics
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fenvs.2025.1606333
Multi-Scale Spatial Differentiation and Formation Mechanisms of Rural Settlements (RS): A Geodetector-Based Analysis in the Middle-Lower Yellow River Basin (ML-YRB), China
Provisionally accepted
- 1College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China, Shanghai, China
- 2School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shandong Jianzhu University, Jinan 250101, China, Jinan, Shandong Province, China
- 3Zibo Urban Planning Design Institute Co., Ltd., Zibo 255025, Zibo, China
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Focusing on the core issue of the multi-scale characteristics and driving mechanisms of spatial differentiation of rural settlements (RS) in the middle-lower Yellow River Basin (ML-YRB), this study aims to provide a scientific basis for the development and protection of regional RS. Using nearest neighbor analysis, kernel density estimation and spatial autocorrelation, the study systematically reveals the spatial distribution patterns and scale-dependent differences of RS in ML-YRB at city, county, and town scales. Furthermore, geographic detectors are employed to quantitatively evaluate the explanatory power of natural geographical and socio-economic factors for RS spatial differentiation. The results show that: (1) In ML-YRB, RS shows clear spatial clustering, concentrating in areas with gentle slopes, low altitudes, favorable thermal humid conditions, and high agricultural potential. (2) RS clustering varies across scales. The Moran's I values are 0.79, 0.75, and 0.81 at city, county, and town scales. (3) Geographical environment, location conditions, and socio-economic factors together shape the spatial pattern of RS in ML-YRB. Specifically, lower and flatter terrain, soil more suited to farming, and proximity to rivers and lakes are linked to denser settlements. Also, areas near cities and roads show a clear RS agglomeration effect. (4) Key factors affecting the spatial distribution of RS have been quantitatively identified: soil type, population density, water proportion, topographic undulation, road network density, and distance from the central town. These findings offer a direct basis for creating tailored spatial policies for RS development in ML-YRB.
Keywords: Middle-Lower Yellow River Basin1, Rural settlements2, multi-scale3, spatial distribution4, influencing factors5
Received: 05 Apr 2025; Accepted: 20 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhang, Yu, Li and Yin. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Xiaoping Zhang, College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China, Shanghai, China
Xunxi Yin, Zibo Urban Planning Design Institute Co., Ltd., Zibo 255025, Zibo, China
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