The Impact of Terrain on the Planar Spatial Morphology of Mountain Settlements Studied Using Fractal Dimensions
Source abstract
Abstract
As urbanization progresses in China, the importance of preserving traditional settlements, particularly those located in mountainous areas, is increasingly recognized. To reveal the spatial morphology of mountain settlements influenced by topography, this study employs fractal geometry to analyze twelve mountain settlements within the Jiexiu City region. The correlation between the fractal dimensions of building structures in these settlements and those of suitable construction areas was examined, revealing a significant positive relationship. Moreover, an in-depth spatial distribution analysis of the representative village, Xingdi Village, was conducted to examine its sub-regional spatial morphology. Utilizing the Multiscale Geographically Weighted Regression (MGWR) model, this study explored the impact of slope, aspect, and elevation on the spatial form of mountainous settlements. The results indicate that the complexity of sub-spaces within Xingdi Village gradually decreases with village expansion, and there is a significant positive correlation between flat terrain and sub-spatial morphology. Based on this, a conservation framework rooted in the morphological characteristics of settlement typologies is proposed.
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Research context
OpenAlex topics: Remote Sensing and Land Use · Land Use and Ecosystem Services · Environmental Changes in China
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
College of Architecture and Arts, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
Funding
National Social Science Fund · Central Government Guides Local Science and Technology Development Fund Projects
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