Measuring mixed land use in rural areas: A functional perspective

In the context of rapid urbanization, land functions in peripheral metropolitan areas are rapidly transforming, showing diversified land use types and mixed land functions, thereby having a profound impact on the functional evolution and spatial reconstruction of rural areas in peripheral metropolitan areas. Taking into account this situation, this study selects the typical case of Xintai County in China, a peripheral metropolitan area, and attempts to accurately identify the functional conversion of land use in the peripheral metropolitan area. It attempts to systematically evaluate its mixed land use from three dimensions—composition, spatial association, and coordination of multifunctional land uses—by using quantile regression and triangle model, among others, to provide a scientific foundation for the spatial governance in the peripheral metropolitan area. Results indicate that (a) the characteristics of mixed land use are significant, focusing on the dimension of functional composition; (b) the distance from village-level units to regional centers and main roads has a significant effect on the mixed intensity, and this effect is heterogeneous; and (c) realizing mixed land use through functional composition is the main approach used by village-level units, and spatial association and coordination of multifunctional land uses show weaknesses that lead to insufficient matching among the three functional dimensions in village-level units. In general, mixed land use in rural areas of Xintai County is at a low morphological level rather than a functional stage. The concept of land function coordination should be emphasized and land use activities should be reasonably laid out to achieve sustainable rural development. Grounded on the results, this study enriches empirical research on mixed land use in rural areas and offers site-specific suggestions for sustainable multifunctional transformation of rural areas. • We propose a functional view of mixed land use in the Chinese context of rural development. • We develop a three-dimensional indicator system to represent the composition, spatial association and coordination of land use functions. • The framework and measurements are applied to more than 800 villages in a county in the peripheral metropolitan area. • Conclusions are supported by spatial concentration, distance decay, and typological analysis.