Rural Settlement Reconstruction Integrating Land Suitability and Individual Difference Factors: A Case Study of Pingba Village, China

Rural settlement reconstruction is an effective means of governance of rural planning. Traditional research on the reconstruction of rural settlements fails to fully consider individual differences in the utilization of rural space, which easily leads to uneven spatial development and social and economic problems. This paper proposes an analytical framework for planning rural settlement reconstruction combining agricultural suitability with the assessment of conditions unique to individual households and verifies the feasibility of this idea through empirical research based on Pingba Village in southwest China. The results show that (1) compared with the effects of considering only land suitability, the number and scale of rural settlements that need to be optimized in the study area expanded three times after considering individual needs. (2) The inclusion of individual differences diversifies the types and modes of rural settlement reconstruction. After comprehensively considering land suitability and individual differences, the rural settlements in the study area were divided into five types: retained settlements, locally rebuilt settlements, integrated settlements, production-based relocated settlements, and travel-based relocated settlements. Among them, retained settlements are the core of rural reconstruction planning. (3) Compared with simple demolition and relocation, a reconstruction of rural settlements that takes into consideration individual factors produces an additional two modes of integration and spatial replacement. The study unveils the influence of individual differences in rural settlements and households on rural reconstruction plans and provides an exploratory tool for rural space optimization.