Revealing the correlation between the morphology of rural settlement clusters and their accessibility to facilities: A human-centered perspective

Abstract

Facilities profoundly shape human settlement systems as determinants of quality of life and organizers of spatial structure. However, morphology-accessibility correlations within rural settlement clusters (RSCs) remain underexplored, constrained by urban-biased settlement cluster delineation and fragmented facility accessibility analysis. This study systematically investigates the correlation mechanisms between RSC morphology and multi-facility accessibility from a human-centered perspective. Using Hubei Province, China as a case, we first delineated RSCs via a spatial clustering method—DBSCAN, with subsequent quantification of morphological attributes—scale, shape, and layout. Accessibility to production, living, and ecological facilities was then assessed through path distance analysis. Morphology-accessibility correlations were statistically examined using ridge regression. RSCs are critical meso-scale intermediaries between micro-scale (dwellings) and macro-scale (villages) analysis. Empirical results reveal significant correlations between RSCs’ morphological characteristics and accessibility gradients, with heterogeneity across different types of facilities. Smaller clusters correlate with higher agricultural facility accessibility, while larger clusters show stronger industrial facility accessibility. Improved access to living facilities like healthcare and commercial services corresponds to RSCs with more complex and irregular shapes. Better access to water areas correlates with more elongated clusters, while better access to forests correlates with more dispersed clusters. The observed morphology-accessibility correlations arise from decisions and actions of multiple human actors under evolving human demands, thereby developing a feedback loop of “demand prioritization—decision optimization—behavioral enactment—spatial restructuring”. This study contributes to current research by identifying rural settlement clusters and analyzing morphology-accessibility correlations, offering valuable insights for sustainable settlement design which harmonizes facility efficiency.