Resumen de Measuring the symbiotic development of rural housing and industry: A case study of Fuping County in the Taihang Mountains in China
Mingyang Cheng, Yansui Liu, Yang Zhou
Rural areas are in decline, globally, and their revitalization requires the symbiotic development of rural housing and industry. Whereas previous studies have examined the relationship between urban jobs and housing and rural population flows, a systematic examination of the relationship between rural housing and industry is lacking. In the Taihang Mountains in China, natural conditions and other factors have constrained symbiotic rural housing–industry development, leading to their separation in most areas. Consequently, a case study of Fuping County, in this region, was conducted to measure the rural housing–industry symbiotic level (HISL). The HISL was established through an assessment of population, land, and industry indicators that were used to construct an evaluation model. The spatial characteristics of HISL, population–land–industry interaction forces, and functional zones were analyzed to ascertain the causes of the rural housing–industry disjuncture. The results of the analysis indicated that the county’s overall HISL was low, with clear spatial east–west differences. The unbalanced development of the population–land–industry system and the interactions of its components have led to the emergence of three village types: population–land force leading (PLL), population–industry force leading (PIL), and land–industry force leading (LIL). Three functional zones relating to symbiotic rural housing–industry development were identified: key development, potential development, and steadily improving zones. The low level of population–industry coordination is a significant cause of the housing–industry disjuncture. The use of the above model for assessing the relationship between rural housing and industry can yield insights for promoting sustainable rural development and revitalization through geographical engineering.
