Spatiotemporal differentiation characteristics and driving mechanisms of Taobao village settlements: A case study in Shandong province, China

Abstract

China's digital economy ranks second globally and has significantly penetrated agriculture and rural areas, leading to the differentiation and transformation of rural spaces. As mature rural digital economic entities, Taobao villages constitute a critical focus for systematic research. Exploring their spatial differentiation characteristics and driving mechanisms is crucial for mitigating the disorder of living spaces in digital rural areas. This study focuses on Taobao villages in Shandong Province and employs a comparative analysis of Taobao and non-Taobao villages (villages excluding Taobao villages). It aims to summarize the spatiotemporal differentiation patterns of settlements, reveal the driving forces behind their spatial expansion and contraction, and propose spatial planning strategies for Taobao village settlements. The findings indicate the following: (1) During the "hatching-growth stage", the settlements of Taobao villages undergo continuous agglomeration and contraction, followed by slow expansion in the "growth-maturity stage". (2) While the digital economy has fostered Taobao villages, the expansion and contraction of their settlements are shaped by multiple factors. Socio-economic and digital economic factors are the primary drivers of Taobao village settlement expansion, whereas agricultural, socio-economic, and physical geographical factors dominate their contraction. (3) Both the contraction and expansion of Taobao village settlements demonstrate a polarized driving mechanism. For example, Taobao village settlements are more likely to contract in areas with low agricultural output and poor transportation accessibility, as well as in regions with high agricultural output and developed economies. (4) Significant differences exist in the spatial differentiation characteristics and driving mechanisms of settlements between Taobao villages and non-Taobao villages. Differentiated construction land control strategies should be adopted based on the different development stages of Taobao villages to facilitate their agglomerated development. This study provided a comparative analysis of the spatiotemporal differentiation characteristics and driving mechanisms of Taobao and non-Taobao villages, offering scientific support for the spatial management of Taobao village settlements.