Investigating the spatial distribution mechanisms of traditional villages from the human geography region: A case study of Jiangnan, China
Shibo Bi, Jiacheng Du, Zheng Tian, Yi Zhang
Abstract
Investigating the spatial distribution and adaptation mechanisms of traditional villages is crucial for their development and human well-being. However, relatively few studies have focused on the interaction and comprehensive influence of historical-cultural, natural-geographic and socio-economic factors on traditional villages in Jiangnan region. Employing geographically weighted regression (GWR) and Geodetector methods, we developed an integrated framework. We found that (1) Traditional villages exhibit a “one-core, multiple-periphery” clustering pattern (nearest neighbor index <1), with significant high-high and low-low local spatial clustering characteristics and preferring gentle and relatively Complex terrains to adapt to the need to avoid warfare. (2) Urbanization negatively affects traditional village density patterns, while natural-geographic complexity has a positive impact. Their interaction nonlinearly amplifies this effect, with the urbanization-GDP interplay being particularly significant (q = 0.765). (3) Factors exhibit significant spatial heterogeneity in their impact on traditional village density, with the explanatory power increasing by 20% (GWR/R2 = 0.65). The urbanization rate and slope are the most critical socio-economic and natural-geographic factors, respectively (local regression coefficient: 23.31 and 11.58). Our study transcends administrative boundaries, revealing how historical-cultural, natural-geographical, and socio-economic factors collectively influence the distribution of traditional villages. This not only provides a new theoretical foundation for the conservation and development of traditional villages but also provides a new methodology basis for research on traditional villages.