Settlements In China Research Articles

Optimisation of Garbage Bin Layout in Rural Infrastructure for Promoting the Renovation of Rural Human Settlements: Case Study of Yuding Village in China.

Optimising the layout of garbage bins is a requirement for improving the utilisation efficiency of rural infrastructure and continuously promoting the renovation of rural human settlements in China. This study selects Yuding Village in Chongqing, China, as the study area. The present distribution of garbage bins and the existing problems are analysed on the basis of interview materials and the point on interest data of garbage bins obtained from an on-the-spot investigation. Actor network theory (ANT) is suitable for small-scale micro research, and thus, this study uses ANT to construct a research framework for garbage bin layout optimisation. Then, it designs an optimisation path for the layout of garbage bins in Yuding Village by identifying different actors and their common interests, classifying the transformation of roles amongst various actors and building a stable heterogeneous network that can be used as a guide for determining the optimal spatial layout of garbage bins. This study combines a sociological theory with geospatial phenomena, providing a new idea for studying the optimal layout of infrastructure.

Analysis on the Evolution of Rural Settlement Pattern and Its Influencing Factors in China from 1995 to 2015

Since the early 1990s, China has experienced rapid industrialization and urbanization. As cities have expanded rapidly, the spatial patterns of rural settlements also changed significantly. This study uses land use data from satellite imagery interpretation, socioeconomic statistics, and field survey data, together with techniques including landscape pattern analysis, kernel density estimation, and spatial measurement models, to analyze the evolving spatial patterns of rural settlements influencing factors in China from 1995 to 2015. The results indicate the following: First, China’s rural settlements experienced significant changes in the period 1995–2015, as 88.92% of Prefectural-level administrative district units saw an increase in rural settlement area, with total settlement size increasing by 1.35 million hectares, and settlement area sprawl index values can be summarized as “high in the west and low in the east”. Second, in the two-decade study period, the population agglomeration capacity of rural settlements in China continuously weakened, and the shape and structure of rural settlement became more complex and irregular. The scale and scope of the disappearance of rural settlement areas in the northeast and southeast regions was relatively drastic, and the kernel density value of settlements dropped significantly. Third, the increase in rural settlement land area is concentrated in low-altitude and low-slope areas, with a significant tendency to be near water and roads. Fourth, social and economic factors, such as per capita net income of rural residents, the proportion of the population employed in agriculture, the size and structure of the permanent rural population, local fiscal revenue, and urbanization level, are the main factors that cause changes of rural settlement patterns. The results of this study can serve as a reference for promoting regional rural sustainable development policies and advancing rural spatial governance and comprehensive revitalization.

Spatiotemporal Evolution and Driving Forces of Sustainable Development of Urban Human Settlements in China for SDGs

As the world’s largest developing country, China has actively implemented the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Sustainable development of urban human settlements is the result of localization and the deepening of sustainable development theory in China. This study combines SDGs to construct an evaluation index system for the sustainable development of urban human settlements in China, using optimization methods, such as natural breaks (Jenks), exploratory spatial data analysis, and GeoDetector, to conduct systematic research on the spatiotemporal evolution of the current sustainable development level and analyze the core driving forces of urban human settlements in 285 prefecture-level cities in China from 2000 to 2019. Our study revealed that: (1) The overall sustainable development level of urban human settlements and their subsystems in China has improved steadily, but the levels of subsystems are quite different; (2) the sustainable development level of the urban human settlements in China can be expressed as a spatial pattern of “high in the east and low in the west, high in the south and low in the north” and has relatively significant spatial correlation characteristics; notably, the development level of each subsystem has different spatial characteristics; (3) the sustainable development level of urban human settlements is mainly based on medium sustainability, and the main development model is to progress from a medium-low development level to a medium-high development level; (4) the sustainable development level of urban human settlements is mainly driven by the per capita gross domestic product (GDP), housing price-to-income ratio, investment in education and scientific research, Internet penetration, and PM2.5.

Visualizing the cultural landscape gene of traditional settlements in China: a semiotic perspective

China has a deep traditional culture and a long history, and is rich in traditional settlements (designated as “Famous Historic-Cultural Villages/Towns”, “Chinese Traditional Villages” by Chinese Government). To help people develop these traditional settlements to achieve the great goal of Chinese National Rejuvenation, Chinese scholar put forward the Cultural Landscape Genes of Traditional Settlements (CLGTS) in 2003. Since then, CLGTS theory has been employed to solve the issues of Chinese traditional settlements, such as the identification and regionalization of cultural landscape genes in traditional settlements, and the understanding of architectural features. Although CLGTS theory has made great strides in many application fields, there is still a lack of scientific findings in exploring the symbol mechanism from a perspective of semiotics. To explore this, we firstly examined the core features of CLGTS through a dialectical perspective. We analyzed two features of CLGTS in depth. First, CLGTS is the dialectical combination of macro settlement image and micro cultural factors of traditional settlements, material appearance and inherent traditional cultural implications, overall features and local self-renewal mechanisms, qualitative and quantitative methods, superiority of cultural factors and rich cultural connotation. Second, CLGTS is famous for its nonlinearity, self-organization, and self-iteration due to various spatial shapes and complex structures. Based on the above, we first proposed the concept of Symbolization Method of CLGTS (SM-CLGTS). Then, we further explored the key features, classification methods, and corresponding representation methods of CLGTS symbols. Finally, by using Visual C#.net program language, we developed a prototype system of the Traditional Landscape Genetic Symbol Database (TLGSD) to create and centrally manage CLGTS symbols. Test results show that TLGSD can meet the needs of constructing a CLGTS symbol database for a given region. This study is of great significance to explore and contribute to visualizing the CLGTS symbols.

Age-friendly regeneration of urban settlements in China: Game and incentives of stakeholders in decision-making

The age-friendly regeneration of urban settlements has been promoted in China to meet older people's demand for "aging in place". However, there are some contradictions among stakeholders in the decision making, hindering the regeneration process. Therefore, after identifying the stakeholders and their contradictions and clarifying their benefits and strategies, this paper established an evolutionary game model of the local government, investors and residents and then explored the stable strategy set of the evolutionary game of stakeholders. A case simulation method was used to test the theoretical results. This paper found the incentive measures that improve the efficiency of the decision making regarding the age-friendly regeneration of urban settlements. This paper also found that under limited conditions, the only stable strategy set of the stakeholder game was the local government, investors and residents implementing active intervention, coordinating opinions and agreeing on benefits strategies, respectively. The evolutionary sequence of the stable strategy set is "local government → investors → residents", which was very important to the application of incentive measures and the proposal of policy implications and suggestions. The effective incentive measures to improve the age-friendly regeneration decision-making efficiency included the following: direct subsidies, indirect subsidies and direct punishment for investors and passive compensation and sharing coefficient optimization for residents. Some policy implications and suggestions for improving decision-making efficiency and promoting the age-friendly regeneration of urban settlements in China are proposed in this paper. The local government can appropriately increase direct and indirect incentives and apply moderate punishment. It is very important that the local government pays attention to the design and operating principles of incentive measures. Otherwise, the wrong design and operation might lead to the failure of incentive measures. The higher-level government should supervise the local government carefully and propose relevant policies and regulations to clearly punish the negative attitudes of the local government. Investors can share more incremental income with residents to promote the development of corporations and the recognition of the local government and residents. Residents should make a good balance of advantages and disadvantages in the decision-making of age-friendly regeneration.

Two-Way Floating or Irreversible Floating? The Transition of Migrants from Urban Social Integration to Permanent Settlement in the Cities in China

Oversized population mobility is an important feature of China’s urbanization. Every year, a large number of rural migrants move between urban and rural areas in China. However, the periodic mobility of rural migrants between urban and rural areas and between regions does not mean that migrants stop settling down in cities. In this study, using data from large sample surveys from the 2017 Chinese Migrants Dynamic Survey collected from eight cities in China, we analyse rural migrants’ urban settlement in China. Our findings reveal that 82.02% of rural migrant reported that they will stay in the city in the future and that residence duration dependence exists in the social integration and urban settlement of China’ rural migrants. That is, the longer rural migrants live in cities, the higher level of social integration and the more likely they are to settle in the city. Among the socio-economic factors, the influence of education on the social integration of rural migrants is greater than that of income. Social integration has a significant mediating effect on the floating duration and urban settlement intention, as well as education level and urban settlement intention. Further, the ownership of contracted land and homestead in rural areas (place of origin) are also important factors affecting the settlement of migrants in cities. For rural migrants to settle down in cities, contracted land acts as an economic support, and a homestead is a guarantee for the future. This study put forward that the mainstream of migration flow in China is the rural-urban one-way, irreversible flow from the countryside to the city and further proposes that the social policies should be based on encouraging migrants to improve social integration and increase the possibility of settling in cities. In future research, we should further consider the transformation of China’s urbanization stage. Settling in cities may become the “final choice” for most migrants and their family members. The social policies should help migrants and their family members get a better life and achieve upward social mobility in cities.

Dynamic influencing mechanism of traditional settlements experiencing urbanization: A case study of Chengzi Village

With the rapid progress of urbanization around the world, more and more traditional settlements are destroyed and disappeared, and the ecological experience which can effectively improve many current urban problems in traditional settlements also have disappeared. In this context, this research aims to examine the renewal of traditional settlements from a dynamic perspective, using digital twins to simulate the changes in settlement spatial forms, underlying surface materials and building facade materials, and to explore the ecological wisdom of traditional settlements. Achieve the unity of traditional feature and functional requirements of settlements in the process of urbanization. Furthermore, the research results can provide enlightenment for the modern translation of traditional settlements and urban construction. The complete research methods can also provide reference for the study of traditional settlements around the world. Through a comprehensive research method combining field measurement, field investigation and ENVI-met (a building environment simulation model) simulation, the microclimate of Chengzi Village, a typical traditional settlement in China, was studied. The results obtained in the above method shown that: (1) in the microclimate inference mechanism, traditional settlements’ spaces are highly efficient; (2) microclimate regulation of traditional settlements benefits mostly from the surface material, spatial form and building facade material; and (3) through a comparative study, it is concluded that in the process of urbanization, it is better for the spatial form to remain unchanged, but the building façade material can be changed appropriately. Concluded this study, the research results can not only promote the sustainable development of Chengzi village, but also provide experience for the modern translation of traditional settlements under similar circumstances around the world, which has important practical significance. In addition, The synergistic dynamic influence mechanism of development -inheritance is particularly important for the sustainable development of traditional settlements.

The Impacts of Training on Farmers’ Preparedness Behaviors of Earthquake Disaster—Evidence from Earthquake-Prone Settlements in Rural China

Earthquakes have strong negative impacts on the development of global economic society. Fortunately, these negative impacts can be reduced through earthquake-preparedness behaviors. However, existing studies mostly focus on the driving factors of disaster-preparedness behaviors among urban residents, while few studies consider such factors among rural residents. Based on survey data of earthquake-prone rural settlements in China, this study uses the probit model and the Poisson model to evaluate the quantitative impact of training on farmers’ earthquake-preparedness behaviors. The results show that: (1) disaster prevention and mitigation training can encourage farmers to engage in earthquake disaster-preparedness behaviors; that is, compared with farmers who have not participated in training, farmers who have participated in training have a 21.39% higher probability of adopting earthquake disaster-preparedness behaviors. (2) Disaster prevention and mitigation training can improve the extent of farmers’ adoption of earthquake disaster avoidance preparedness behaviors, namely, compared with farmers who have not participated in training, farmers who have participated in training adopt earthquake disaster-preparedness behaviors to a greater extent, presenting an increase of 0.75 items. Therefore, this study provides a helpful reference for improving disaster prevention and mitigation training policies for settlements at high risk of earthquakes.

Analysis on Spatial Distribution of Rural Public Venues and Its Influencing Factors from Low-Carbon Perspective: Take Shijiaying Village as an example

At present, rural areas are becoming the second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, and it is imperative to explore a low-carbon construction and development model suitable for rural areas.In view of insufficient vitality of rural public venues, through a combination of field visits and investigations, ArcGIS spatial analysis and related mathematical statistics, the service range index and service distribution index of rural public venues are created, and Shijiaying Village, representative of the Guanzhong Plain area, is selected as an example to analyze the spatial distribution of its public venues. It is found that rural public venues present the overall characteristics of unbalanced spatial distribution, which are mainly manifested in the following aspects: first, administrative village-level public venues have small effective service range; second, there are distinctive differences in service distribution between different villages; third, rural public venues lack service in overall. Factors such as the distribution pattern of rural settlements, the location layout and type of the venues exert an important impact on the spatial distribution of rural public venues. The study is expected to provide a useful reference for the planning and construction of rural public venues and the quality improvement of human settlements in China in the new era.

The Formation of European Settlements in China in the Second Half of the 19th–the First Half of the 20th Century and the Features of Their Development in Manchuria

The article looks at the formation of European settlements in China in the second half of the 19th–the first half of the 20th century. There are three phases of the development of these settlements: the beginning of limited point penetration into China in the middle of the 16th–the middle of the 19th century, the formation of open ports in the middle–the end of the 19 century and “sharing of the Chinese cake” at the end of the 19th–beginning of the 20th centuries. The formation of foreign settlements in Manchuria in the late 19th–first half of the 20th century, where five stages of development are highlighted, is analyzed in more detail. The first period (1897–1905) includes the laying of the Chinese Eastern Railway (CER) and South Manchuria Railway (SMR) and the formation of the first settlements under Russian control. The second period (1905–1920) includes the transformation of Harbin (the central station of the CER) into an open city and the transition of the SMR under Japanese control, where the active development of Changchun began. The third stage (1920–1932) includes the gradual Japanese expansion in the region and the development of Chinese and foreign presence on the CER. The fourth stage (1932–1945) is characterized by the creation of the puppet state of Japan Manchukuo with the center in Changchun and the gradual extrusion of foreign companies and representative offices from the region. The features of the development of the cities in Manchuria are identified. The formation of new settlements, that are not related to the existing Chinese cities, as well as the formation of a city-planning structure at the early stages of construction by Russian engineers, is highlighted.

Exploration of Rural Land Contract Dispute Settlement in China - Based on the Perspective of Arbitration Pre-procedure -

Exploration of Rural Land Contract Dispute Settlement in China - Based on the Perspective of Arbitration Pre-procedure -

A two-stage system analysis of real and pseudo urban human settlements in China

Urban human settlements have an important impact on human health, livability and economy. To facilitate objective regionalization and identify impact factors, we established a two-stage model with spatiotemporal analysis and factor analysis. The suitability of urban human settlements and temporal and spatial changes in their characteristics were analyzed using the urban real human settlements (RHS) index and pseudo human settlements (PHS) index. Annual RHS and PHS values were calculated using panel data for 31 Chinese provinces and cities and Baidu search query data covering 2557 days. The findings were as follows: (1) The urban RHS and PHS indexes decrease from the southeastern coastal area to the northwestern inland area (excluding Beijing City). (2) The urban RHS index is larger than the PHS index, and the two indexes have a positive correlation, with an average correlation coefficient of 0.7 over 7 years. (3) Population size, social development and environmental governance are the main factors affecting the urban RHS and PHS indexes. (4) The urban RHS and PHS indexes fluctuate, and the values vary unevenly across space. Our research results can help policymakers identify the key factors affecting urban human settlements so that they can make better decisions.

Bridging through “women’s work”: African women and men chasing the rise of China

ABSTRACT Bodomo’s bridge theory describes and predicts the long-term implications of African migrants’ activities and settlement in China. Drawing on research with African retail traders, university students, and corporate executives in China, I show that the bridge theory illuminates how African women and men rationalize their decisions to migrate to China within the context of the rise of Asia. Drawing on the literature regarding African women and work, I explain that structural economic conditions now force more Africans into economic sectors such as trade work that historically were dominated by African women. I demonstrate that African women’s roles as economic providers for their families and children in other sectors, such as university students and company executives, provide evidence of the continued “matricentric” nature of African households that rely on women’s economic productivity. I also examine the possibilities and limitations of building long-standing networks that shape African migrant settlement in China. I show that the historical theorization that characterizes global mobility as male – particularly regarding Africans – has contributed to the misrecognition of African women’s multiple activities in China.

Research on Sustainable Development Ability and Spatial-Temporal Differentiation of Urban Human Settlements in China and Japan Based on SDGs, Taking Dalian and Kobe as Examples

The sustainable development of the human settlements (HS) has become a global universal program. The comparison of cities in different countries is of great significance to provide international experience for future urban construction. Combined with the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this paper establishes an evaluation index system for the sustainable development ability of urban HS and constructs a three-dimensional research framework of “development-coordination-sustainability,” which compares the sustainable development ability of the HS of Dalian, China, and Kobe, Japan, from 2005 to 2018 and explores the spatial evolution characteristics and obstacle factors of the HS of the two cities. The results show that (1) the development degree of the HS of the two cities is on the rise. The development level of Kobe is always higher than that of Dalian, and the gap is gradually narrowing; Kobe has advantages in natural and residential environment, while Dalian has advantages in cultural and economic environment. (2) The coordination degree of the development of the HS of the two cities has improved steadily, and the coordination degree of Kobe is better than that of Dalian. (3) The sustainability of the development of the HS of the two cities is fluctuating, and the average sustainable growth rate of Dalian is higher than that of Kobe. (4) The sustainable development space of the HS in Dalian presents a pattern of “high in the south and low in the north,” and the spatial characteristics of the subsystems are different; the main obstacles have changed from economic-natural to economic-natural-cultural-public services, and the obstacles to development in districts are different. (5) The sustainable development space of the HS in Kobe has a high level of development in the southeast, radiating to the surrounding area, and the spatial characteristics of the subsystems are different; the main obstacles have changed from economic-cultural-natural to economic-natural-population, and the obstacles to development in districts are different. Finally, it puts forward targeted suggestions for the sustainable construction of Dalian. This paper can provide methodological reference for quantitative assessment of the sustainable development of HS and provide policy reference for scientific planning of the construction of HS.

Study on spatial layout optimization of Linpan settlements based on point pattern analysis

According to the problems of lack of planning and disordered layout of rural settlements in China, it is urgent to further improve the methods of optimizing the settlement pattern of towns and villages and the intensive use of land. The main purpose of this paper is to optimize the layout of rural settlements with a single land-use type and a large number of rural settlements to be relocated. This paper takes the Linpan settlements of Deyuan Town, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province as the research object and establishes the suitability evaluation system of Linpan settlements by the Entropy method. The Linpan settlements of research area are divided into the central and the non-central Linpan settlements and determine the search threshold according to the point pattern analysis method and multi-distance spatial cluster analysis. Through the study of regional preliminary central Linpan settlement selection and search threshold determination, central Linpan settlement site selection, the determination of non-central Linpan settlement’s migration direction, the results show that the radiation coverage rate of the central Linpan increased by 17.3%, the number of repeated radiation Linpans decreased by 63.2%, the overlapping area decreased by 49.9%, and finally 179 Linpans were optimized and merged into 36 central Linpans.

Quality evaluation and division of regional types of rural human settlements in China

The improvement of rural human settlements is an important task in the Rural Revitalisation strategy in China. Determining the quality and spatial distribution of rural human settlements and making strategies according to local conditions are conductive to the construction of beautiful rural in China. On the basis of existing theories and research on rural human settlements, this paper constructs a theoretical analysis framework of rural human settlements that focuses on infrastructure, public services, quality of life, living standards and environmental health. Entropy method and cluster analysis are used to analyse the quality of rural human settlements and to divide regions among 31 provinces in China. The main conclusions are as follows: (i) China can be divided into four quadrants. Regions with high qualities are mainly concentrated in the first quadrant. The second and third quadrants score the lowest. The quality of rural human settlements in sub-dimensions shows disequilibrium and the quality of life is low compared with other four dimensions. (ii) The 31 provinces can be divided into five categories: demonstration regions, regions with potentials for development, regions with weak points, regions of satisfying basic needs, and backward regions. (iii) Rural human settlements is a large complex system, whose quality is closely related to the conditions of regional development. Long-term follow-up investigation should be the focus of future research. Findings provide scientific guidance for the optimization and improvement mechanism of rural human settlements and rural revitalisation.

Evolution of rural settlement in an inland nonmetropolitan region of China at a time of rapid urbanisation: The case of Gongyi

Rural settlements in China have been experiencing unprecedented transformation since the economic reforms of the late 1970s. This paper examines population movement over the post-reform era and how this affects settlement patterns in an inland nonmetropolitan county-level city region with a well performing economy. It is found that the settlement size distribution in Gongyi is generally transforming from a traditional rural pattern to one that features an urban system, taking place in the form of “in situ urbanisation” and “rural urbanisation”. Without experiencing mass out-migration and in line with the transition of China's political economy, Gongyi has developed its local urban system in parallel with the life and spatial cycles of city-based urbanisation in China. From the perspective of urbanisation cycles, “in situ urbanisation” underpinned by relevant socioeconomic and political conditions is argued to be both theoretically meaningful and practically useful in the context of the evolving settlement systems in China and less urbanised countries.

STUDY ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF HMONG MINORITY'S VERNACULAR DWELLINGS AT HUAYUAN COUNTY IN XIANGXI AREA (CHINA)

Abstract. Hmong vernacular dwellings are an indispensable and essential branch of traditional Chinese architecture, which bears the profound history of the integration of minority culture and Han culture for thousands of years. As a typical representative of the Hmong settlement in China, the Hmong Village in Huayuan County, western Hunan Province, has the distinct characteristics of respecting nature and making good use of terrain in the construction of vernacular dwellings, which embodies the unique regional, historical, cultural and national character. Firstly, the article analyzes the influence of terrain, landform, climatic environment, historical culture, and social structure on the layout, shape, and materials of the rural homes of the Hmong people in Huayuan County. Secondly, by analyzing the elements of the courtyard space, the layout characteristics of the courtyard, and the organization mode of the courtyard group, the overall spatial characteristics of the residential courtyard are analyzed. At the same time, from the perspective of a single residential house, to sort out the characteristics of its type as well as the floor plan, building structure, material colour, and detailed decoration. Finally, it emphasizes that the Hmong vernacular dwellings in Huayuan County, embody the distinctive cultural connotation of the Hmong nationality, and show the unique aesthetic and romantic sentiment of the Hmong vernacular architecture to the world.

Welfare migration or migrant selection? Social insurance participation and rural migrants’ intentions to seek permanent urban settlement in China

The welfare system can be a crucial factor in the urban settlement of rural migrants, but its effects are difficult to determine because to do so one must distinguish the effect of welfare entitlement from the effect of ‘migrant selectivity bias’, which widely exists in cities in developing countries. Using survey data from 15 Chinese cities, this study examines the ways in which social insurance – the most critical social welfare package in China – affects rural migrants’ urban-settlement intentions. The results show that there is a ‘migrant selectivity bias’ in Chinese cities, that is, rural migrants who are better off socio-economically are more inclined to participate in social insurance and are more inclined to pursue permanent urban settlement. Meanwhile, social insurance participation is significantly and positively related to rural migrants’ urban-settlement intentions, and this positive relation remains even after we discount the effect of ‘migrant selectivity bias’ in the analysis. We argue that, for rural migrants in China, the effect of social insurance participation on urban settlement intentions closely resembles that experienced by those who move to migration-managed regimes. We conclude that the Chinese government should establish a more inclusive social welfare system to enable rural migrants to permanently settle in cities.

A novel method to extract urban human settlements by integrating remote sensing and mobile phone locations

Satellite-based human settlement extraction methods have limited practical applications, due to merely studying the difference between human settlements and other land cover/use types in physical attributes (e.g., spectral signature and land surface temperature) instead of considering basic anthropogenic attributes (e.g., human distribution and human activities). To deal with this challenge, we proposed a novel method to accurately extract human settlements by integrating mobile phone locating-request (MPL) data and remotely sensed data. In this study, human settlements for selected cities were mapped at a medium resolution (30 ​m) by redistributing the MPL data using Landsat Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) adjusted weights, with an overall accuracy of above 90.0%. Additionally, by extending the proposed method to the MPL and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data, a coarse-resolution (250 ​m) map of human settlements in China was created with an overall accuracy of 95.2%. Compared with the widely used nighttime light based methods, the proposed method could solve the long-existing problems such as data saturation and blooming effects, as well as characterizing human settlements with fine spatial details. Our study provides an alternative approach to human settlement extraction by combining its physical and anthropogenic attributes, and it can be easily adjusted with multi-scale remotely sensed data and applied to human settlement extraction at different scales.