Laws and Trends of the Evolution of Traditional Villages in Plane Pattern

Abstract

This study collected and analyzed dynamic spatial data of eight traditional villages scattered in different regions of China. A multi-temporal analysis of morphological metrics of spatial patterns and a regression analysis of the morphological evolution were used to analyze and contrast the historical spatial processes of different villages. These were then compared using patch texture and rural macro-morphology perspectives. This led to an assessment of the general laws and trends associated with rural spatial processes. (1) There has been a significant shift in the stability of rural spatial development since the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). (2) Most small and medium-sized villages have maintained a relatively stable spatial texture, while large villages have changed significantly. (3) The mean and variance of the patch area, and the Euclidean nearest-neighbor distance, are correlated in some cases. (4) The mode of rural expansion may be relevant to limitations in the total area of growth. (5) The fractal dimension of the rural macro-morphology may follow a morphological order of oscillation around the equilibrium level. (6) The common mean value of the projected area of rural building patches is expected to be 100 m2.