Research On The Evolution Characteristics And Mechanisms Of Rural Areas In The Far Suburbs Of Guangzhou

The suburban villages of Guangzhou are located in the growth buffer zone of the metropolis in the economically developed areas of the southeast coast.They are influenced by the economic radiation from the urban core area,undertaking the dispersal of urban industries,and possess abundant agricultural,ecological,and cultural resources.These areas are the main battlefield for implementing coordinated urban-rural development and rural revitalization.The development of rural areas in the outer suburbs of Guangzhou has its own characteristics,influenced by factors such as the "trickle-down effect" of the city,local policy barriers,and ecological conservation restrictions,resulting in significant differences in human resources,economic structure,and landscape characteristics between the outer suburbs,inner city villages,and near suburbs.This uniqueness further contributes to the complexity and contradictions in the development of rural areas in the outer suburbs.On the one hand,the outer suburbs need to serve the city and undertake functions such as supplying agricultural and sideline products to the city,rural tourism,and ecological conservation.On the other hand,with the transition of the metropolitan area from rapid expansion to precise regulation,the outer suburbs will maintain a stable "symbiotic and synergistic" relationship with the city in the long term,and the rural areas themselves also need to develop.Therefore,conducting indepth research on the development and evolution of rural areas in the outer suburbs of the city is a major issue in rural development.In this article,against the background of compressed time and space,the spatial evolution characteristics and driving mechanisms of rural areas in the outer suburbs of Guangzhou since 2005 are studied,answering questions such as what changes have occurred in the spatial patterns of rural areas in the outer suburbs,how to scientifically and systematically measure these changes,and how to objectively understand the external manifestations and internal mechanisms of rural evolution.Furthermore,how to guide the optimization and reconstruction of rural areas in the outer suburbs in the future to achieve the conservation of resources and sustainable development is also discussed.This article adopts a research approach that focuses on "space" as the core to study the evolution of suburban rural areas around the metropolis.It situates rural areas within the context of "space" and critically examines the systemic,multi-dimensional attributes,and explicit/implicit interactive relationships of rural spaces.A logical framework for multidimensional "spatial form-function-structure" and multi-scale "region-township-village" research is constructed.Various quantitative methods,such as graph theory,fractal geometry,gravity model,and social network analysis,are used to measure the spatial changes of rural areas in Guangzhou’s far-outskirt villages.Firstly,based on remote sensing interpretation of land use status at multiple time periods,the overall utilization pattern of regional spatial resources in far-outskirt villages is analyzed,with a focus on in-depth research on rural settlements as a core measurement object,and the characterization of spatial differentiation features of rural areas.Secondly,a multi-functional evaluation system for suburban rural areas is constructed to analyze the characteristics of spatial functional transformation in Guangzhou’s far-outskirt villages.Based on the characteristics of functional transformation and the interactive relationships among functions,the dominant functional types of rural areas in the study area are identified.Finally,a comparative analysis is conducted on the changes of spatial network structure in typical towns and streets in far-outskirt areas,using gravity model and social network analysis methods.Through research,it has been found that:(1)Urban spatial expansion is evident,resulting in agricultural space loss and ecological fragmentation,leading to increased pressure on available space resources.Rural settlements exhibit a clear pattern of agglomeration,showing a non-uniform distribution with sparse settlements in the north and south and dense settlements in the central region.Highdensity agglomeration areas are expanding continuously.Patch size is increasing,with a "south high,north low" distribution pattern.The hierarchical structure of patch size remains stable,with fewer medium to large-sized settlements and noticeable polarization characteristics.Small-scale settlements are well-developed.Localized intensification and fragmentation coexist.Patch shapes tend to become irregular,with an increase in hotspots and a trend towards contiguous development.(2)The multifunctional value of rural space in the outer suburbs of Guangzhou is increasingly prominent,exhibiting significant regional differences and temporal variations.Specifically,(1)the agricultural production function has significantly weakened,with severe fragmentation observed in traditional agricultural areas;(2)the ecological conservation function maintains a stable overall pattern,with significant spatial differentiation influenced by urbanization and industrialization;(3)the economic development function shows a clear upward trend,with enhanced spatial agglomeration;(4)the overall pattern of social security function remains relatively stable,with localized functional prominence in certain areas;and(5)with the rise of urban-rural tourism,the leisure and cultural function has significantly enhanced from 2005 to 2020.(3)The spatial structure of rural areas in the outer suburbs of Guangzhou is gradually transitioning from a vertical and hierarchical association to a flatter and more networked structure,but a tightly-knit and mature network association has not yet formed,and there are differences in the development stages and manifestations of networks in different regions.Overall,the connections between rural areas in the outer suburbs still exhibit a strong principle of proximity,with rural nodes that have higher spatial quality and abundant resources attracting and radiating significantly,but the development of most rural areas remains limited to the local economy of their own villages,and effective network synergies have not been fully realized.(4)Overall,the driving mechanisms of spatial evolution in suburban rural areas include endogenous and exogenous forces.Exogenous forces are mainly driven by core mechanisms of urbanization,catalytic mechanisms of transportation and information technology,inducement mechanisms of market demand,and regulatory mechanisms of policy planning.Endogenous forces are mainly supported by the resource and environmental endowment of rural areas,as well as the developmental aspirations of rural autonomous entities.Under the interaction of internal and external forces,suburban rural areas demonstrate stage-specific characteristics of evolution towards a higher level.The dominant driving forces vary significantly at different stages,with an initial stage determined by natural conditions,followed by external forces such as urbanization,and finally transitioning towards a trend of synergistic interaction between internal and external forces.(5)This paper proposes strategies and recommendations for the optimization and reconstruction of urban suburban rural areas,including the establishment of a perspective of coordinated urban-rural development and the granting of equal development rights to rural areas.It also suggests promoting the integration of spatial forms in rural areas,revitalizing rural land resources,diversifying the functions of rural areas,developing typical development models,achieving regional sharing of infrastructure resources,optimizing the internal and external network spatial structure of rural areas,improving the diverse and coordinated governance system of rural spaces,and stimulating endogenous development dynamics in rural areas.In conclusion,this article has constructed a multidimensional research framework of "spatial morphology-spatial function-spatial structure" for suburban rural areas of metropolitan cities.It has revealed the diverse characteristics of the evolution of suburban rural areas,explored research methods for multi-dimensional spatial measurement,provided scientific support for qualitative spatial research,expanded the methodological system of rural evolution research,and extracted the phased characteristics and evolutionary paths of rural spatial evolution under the interaction of internal and external driving mechanisms,providing insights for spatial optimization.