Multifunctional Territorial Differentiation of Rural Production Spaces and Functional Zoning: A Case Study of Western Chongqing

Abstract

With the continuous implementation of the rural revitalisation strategy, the social and economic landscape of China’s countryside has undergone significant changes and the structure and functions of rural production space have gradually become more complex and diversified. The theory of rural production space and its multifunctionality provides a new perspective for the study of rural human–land relationship patterns. Taking Western Chongqing, one of the national pilot zones for integrated urban–rural development, as an example, a scientific evaluation index system is established from the perspective of rural production space and its multifunctionality. The evaluation takes into account the consensus indicators of existing academic results, the regional characteristics of Western Chongqing, and relevant policies. On this basis, a regression model is constructed to investigate the factors influencing multifunctional regional differentiation, and a weighted clustering algorithm is used to classify the units in the study area into functional zones. The results of the study are as follows: (1) A multifunctional evaluation system with 24 indicators in five dimensions was constructed through the principle of scientific selection of indicators. (2) All functions in the rural production space of Western Chongqing have the respective geographical differentiation characteristics. In particular, the high-value and low-value agglomerations are generally distributed in strips or clusters, and the high-value and low-value agglomerations are intermingled, with each influencing factor driving the differentiation process of each function in the form of inhibition and reinforcement. (3) Western Chongqing can be divided into four types of functional areas: balanced development, lagging development–ecological recreation, urban development, and modern agriculture. Differentiated development strategies are proposed for different types of functional areas. We conclude that the study of the multifunctional spatial differentiation of rural production and functional zoning can provide a clearer analysis of the current status of rural development in Western Chongqing, and also enriches the perspective and methodology of the study of rural areas in western China.