Rural settlement renovation program assessment and its driving mechanism: A dynamic analysis from local stakeholders’ perspective

In order to secure the sustainable rural development, Rural Settlement Renovation Program (RSRP) is targeted an effective instrument under China’ rural revitalization strategy, extensively pursed national wide. However, most of research verified its effective mechanism from a static point of view. The paper seeks to explore the dynamic driving mechanism of RSRP in the perspective of local stakeholders especially the residents. By leveraging on case study of Yanchi County, Ningxia Province, China, combined with research survey, it enables the research to disclosure the driving mechanism of RSRP through SEM model and heterogeneous analysis through Fixed Effect model. The results show that 1) the satisfaction of the rural residents level up with the scheme carry-out, rising from 2.23 to 4.12. 2) Living condition, infrastructure maintenance, environmental sanitation, cultural construction and democratic management contribute to local residents’ satisfaction positively. 3) Nevertheless, its mechanism varied in pre-era and post-era of RSRP. More specifically, in pre-era of RSRP, it is found that the driving force ordered: living condition > infrastructure maintenance > cultural construction > environmental sanitation > democratic management; which was reordered in post-era of RSRP: cultural construction > living condition > infrastructure maintenance > democratic management > environmental sanitation. 4) Low-income group is impacted greater compared to high-income counterparty in RSRP. It depicts a holistic development requirement of rural resident towards RSRP, dominant by hierarchical needs in stage-view. Initiated as a settlement renovation scheme, but expected to end with comprehensive rural sustainable development, it calls for authority decentralization in reviving rural from government to community residents.