Rural China has experienced rapid urbanization and industrialization, accompanied with rural–urban migration since 1978. This tremendous transition has caused a series of negative consequences, necessitating a spatial-territorial reorganization of rural settlements. Previous studies on the restructuring of rural settlements are insufficient for inter-settlement connection consideration and practical and dynamic decision-making techniques. To overcome these concerns, a dynamic spatial-territorial reorganization model (SRM) of rural settlement is proposed herein based on graph theory and genetic algorithm (GA). The model involves two parts. In Part 1, consolidated settlements are identified according to the socio-economic network performance under four types of attack. In Part 2, GA model is repeatedly executed to scientifically resettle consolidated settlements into nearby townships or central settlements with objectives of suitability, compactness, and local connectivity under the control of the constraints. This paper presents an application of SRM to Chengui Town, Hubei Province. Empirical results suggest that: (1) removing settlements in order of node degree is the least efficient way to destroy the entire functional system; and (2) the proposed model can yield satisfactory solutions in terms of spatial reorganization of settlements. The SRM may also serve as a valuable reference for planners in devising plans and making decisions.

Education is the driving force of social development, while regional differences have restricted the balance of educational development. This paper provides a political and geospatial analysis of regional inequality across the province from 1990–2015 under a comparative spatiotemporal conceptual framework. Great differences in terms of the distribution and dynamic changes in primary school were found between southern and the northern Ningxia. The southern region has a large number of primary schools with a sharp reduction in these numbers, especially in recent years, while the north has a small but stable number of schools. Spatial accessibility analyses revealed that due to the imbalance between the south and the north, the spatial accessibility of the southern region is much worse than that of the northern region. Our study found the imbalance in the number and spatial distribution of primary schools in the north and south of Ningxia was formed because of multiple factors of policy, geography, and social-economy. The government has pursued a policy of promoting education fairness. However, neglecting differences between north and south, on the contrary, has brought negative effects to the south, worsened the educational environment, and increased education inequities. Our case study in the Ningxia district demonstrates that this research can provide a practical basis for the formulation of policies to guide the rational planning of primary education in Ningxia and/or other similar areas.

The spatial distribution of settlements in a heterogeneous landscape matrix influences the capacity of people to form and maintain relationships. Although such a perspective has gained several conceptual and theoretical developments, empirical research on this special issue is necessary. Therefore this work provides a case study to explore the relationship between human settlement pattern and socioeconomic network (SN) among settlements in Chengui, China. Settlement pattern is characterized through spatial network analyses in 60 different scenarios. Socioeconomic interaction data are derived from household interviews conducted in autumn 2014. To illustrate the relationship, this paper compares the structures of socioeconomic network with corresponding spatial networks at three different levels (global, component, and local) using a range of network analytic tools (e.g., visual displays of networks, quadratic assignment procedure, Procrustes analysis, component analysis, and centralities). Results demonstrate that although human settlement pattern and SN are related, they differ substantially. Specifically, socioeconomic flows can overcome the restrictions of settlement pattern or even administrative units. Meanwhile, these flows may not occur even in a compact settlement pattern.

Harmonious interactions among multiple functions form the foundation of sustainable rural development. This study proposes an innovative network-based framework to analyze the relationship between the Concentrated-Contiguous Conservation and Utilization (CCU) of traditional villages and their socio-ecological functions. An empirical analysis of 432 traditional villages in the Wuling Mountain Area of Hunan Province, China, reveals that: (1) The Concentrated-Contiguous Conservation and Utilization Network (CCUN) exhibits low density, local clustering, and limited long-distance connections, with its spatial distribution closely corresponding to forested land. (2) The socio-economic functional system is characterized by unobstructed cultural exchange, a clustered spatial pattern, transportation-dependent development, and a scattered distribution of villages with high attribute values, while the central region serves a significant ecological conservation role. (3) Correlation analysis reveals an overall low level of synergy between the CCUN and the socio-economic system. Through a role matching analysis of core villages across various networks, diverse multifunctional combinations were identified and categorized into four primary types: Coordinated Development, Conflict, Restricted, and Potential. The proposed methodological framework provides a practical tool to guide local governments in steering CCU practices toward multifunctional coordination and sustainability.