Spatial layout optimization of rural settlements based on the theory of safety resilience

Safety resilience is essential to effectively optimize the spatial layout of rural settlements in the context of rural revitalization, particularly to the survival and development of rural settlements. Taking Kekeyiligeng Town, Wuchuan County, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China as a typical case, this study aims to define the connotation and characteristics of residential safety resilience in rural settlements using the principle of safety resilience. The landscape pattern index was also utilized to analyze the current situation of spatial distribution in the rural settlements. The safety resilience of rural settlements was then calculated using Expert Scoring and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Four dimensions of characteristics were selected, including suitability, redundancy, adaptability, and self-organization. Referred to National Rural Revitalization Strategic Plan (2018-2022) and Opinions on Promoting Village Planning as a Whole, the optimal types of the spatial layout were determined to obtain the optimal strategies in the rural settlements. The results showed that: 1) Safety resilience of rural settlements was a procedural concept with the phased characteristics, including the defense phase, recovery phase, adaptation phase, and independent capabilities throughout the various phases of system operation. The salient characteristics of safety resilience were proposed for the rural settlements in different stages of system operation, indicating better suitability, redundancy, adaptability, and self-organization. 2) The overall performance of safety resilience was relatively excellent in the rural settlements. There were 87 patches of rural settlements above the security level, accounting for 52.5% of the total area of Kekeyiligeng Town. There was also a spatial pattern of south high north low, middle high around low. Specifically, there were 26 high-security patches with an area of 87.07 hm2 in the rural settlements, locating close to the institutional towns. 61 medium-security rural settlements with the largest area of 195.19 hm2 were mainly distributed in Furudong Village, mostly near the traffic arteries of Juzihao Village. A total of 41 critical safety level rural settlements with an area of 142.81 hm2 were mainly distributed in Wulanhudong Village, particularly scattered in the marginal area of Dashuigedong and Juzihao Village. There were 46 insecure rural settlements with an area of 112.49 hm2, mainly distributed in Dashuigedong and Sanshengtai Village. 3) Different types of rural settlements well conformed to the development and evolution trend of villages, representing their own strategies of spatial layout optimization. The suburban integration type of rural settlements should be positively integrated with urban areas in the industrial economy and public service system, in order to promote the coordinated development of urban and suburban areas. Furthermore, the agglomeration promotion type of rural settlements should be used to strengthen the construction of infrastructure and integrated development of various economic types. The characteristic protection type of rural settlements should also be used to actively improve the production and living conditions, where appropriate tourism can be developed to increase the income of villagers. Additionally, the general persistence type of rural settlements should be a further intensive and economical use of land to improve the situation of hollowing out. Consequently, the relocation merge type of rural settlements is no longer suitable for human habitation. Therefore, the central village of high safety resilience needs to relocate using a weighted-Voronoi diagram. The findings can provide a potential basis to comprehensively promote the planning and development of rural settlements under the background of rural revitalization. © 2021, Editorial Department of the Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering. All right reserved.