Spatial distribution and transformation mechanism of specialized villages in typical agricultural areas: Case study of Henan province, China

The contradiction between rural socioeconomic changes and residents' demands for a better life poses challenges for sustainable development. Industrial revitalization is a core issue in promoting rural economic development. Specialized villages, which focus on specific industries and excel in certain areas, are important pathways for increasing farmers' income, promoting industrial prosperity, and advancing agricultural modernization. However, there has been limited research on the spatial distribution and transformation patterns of rural industrial development models. In particular, in the context of rapid rural restructuring, understanding the spatial evolution of specialized villages is important for future rural development. Taking Henan Province—an important agricultural province in China—as a case, this study finds that the spatial evolution of specialized villages can be divided into six stages and three transformations corresponding to time period. The specialized villages show a spatial pattern of center–periphery, spatial agglomeration, and periphery–center development. In line with China's shift from quantitative expansion to qualitative reform, the types of specialized villages gradually diversified, driven by socioeconomic development and human behavioral factors in different periods. Although China's specialized villages show diversified development patterns, there remains a need to identify development patterns that are consistent with different types of villages to achieve high-quality development, fully implement rural revitalization, and provide typical cases for global sustainable development. By summarizing the development patterns of specialized villages, this study helps to accurately determine the value of specialized villages in rural development and to design more targeted paths for the development of rural industries, which is significant for promoting sustainable rural development and enhancing human well-being.