Improvement in the quality of living environment with mixed land use of rural settlements: A case study of 18 villages in Hebei, China

The concept of mixed land use encompasses both land-use diversity and land-use compatibility. However, the negative effects of unreasonable land mixing on the living environment must be considered. In an empirical study of 18 villages in Hebei Province, China, an analytical framework was constructed to investigate the influence of mixed land use in rural settlements on the quality of living environment. The results are as follows: (1) The index of living environment for villages with high and low levels of mixed land use was 0.0194 and 0.0143 in 2010, and 0.0433 and 0.0337 in 2020, respectively. The growth index of living environment for villages with high and low growth rates of mixed land use was 217.16% and 112.07% from 2010 to 2020. (2) Spearman correlation analysis showed a significant positive correlation between the levels (growth rates) of mixed land use and living environment. Additionally, Mann-Whitney U analysis showed that mixed land use can improve the quality of living environment. (3) The land-use diversity had a significant influence on the economy, infrastructure, and governance indicators of living environment. Land-use compatibility had a significant influence on the service indicator. This study indicates that improving the internal structure of rural settlements to optimize its mixed land use is an effective way to promote the comprehensive improvement of living environment.