Multiscale spatial heterogeneity and type identification of traditional villages in Meishan area

This study examined the spatial heterogeneity of 20 traditional villages in Meishan from a multiscale perspective, analyzes the spatial correlation with cultural heritage, and proposed preservation strategies for traditional village conservation and cultural continuity based on the village type identification of natural-cultural factors.

Utilizing ArcGIS, production-living-ecological space classification, and bivariate local spatial autocorrelation, spatial heterogeneity of villages and their spatial correlation with cultural heritage were analyzed, the characteristics of traditional villages through K-means clustering were classified.

1) Spatial distribution of villages follows strong topographic and functional orientations, 75% are located in plain-hilly areas with slopes of 10°-20° and elevations below 500 m, all near water, and 85% in medium and low geological hazard zones. Five layout types are identified: waterfront linear, axial extension, terraced slope, clustered aggregation, and multi-nuclei group pattern. Ecological space accounted for the largest proportion, while living and production spaces correlates with village function and spatial layout; 2) Cultural heritage exhibits a “large agglomeration, small dispersion” pattern, with weak spatial dependency on villages, only 15% of villages are in high-high clusters, 40% in high-low clusters, 45% in non-significant clusters; 3) Based on clustering of natural and cultural factors, villages are categorized into four typical groups: high risk, culture enriched, ecologically constrained, and moderately balanced.

Meishan villages possess a premium natural foundation and stable geological conditions, their spatial pattern demonstrating significant adaptation to the topographic features, but they show weak linkages to cultural heritage, and exhibit significant negative spatial correlation. This requires differentiated protection strategy, through strengthened graded risk management and heritage resource integration to fulfill the spatial governance requirements for the harmonious coexistence of nature and culture.