Supporting sustainable rural development through numerical simulation: a case study in Northwest China

The "Laochi" public space (LPS), which has existed for hundreds of years, has been gradually replaced by infrastructure during rural reconstruction. This study provides suggestions to protect the LPS with rural sustainable development by analyzing its effect on outdoor thermal environment. The Pearson correlation coefficient, root mean square error (RMSE), and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) were used to verify the applicability of the ENVI-met model on typical villages in Northwest China. Additionally, the thermal effects of different underlying surfaces on rural environments were compared according to heat parameters through numerical simulation. The results showed mostly accurate predictions by the microclimate software. Furthermore, the LPS could effectively reduce the air temperature and increase the relative humidity of the settlement, especially during the daytime. Besides, compared with the current scenario (soil), concrete and brick paving increased the outdoor air temperature by 1.6% and 0.94%, respectively, while grassland and waterbody decreased air temperature by 0.75% and 1.23%, respectively. Based on these findings, some policy formulations and changes were recommended to local governments. Moreover, rural sustainable development showed great significance in the creation of a healthier ecological sustainable rural settlement.