An Evaluation and Optimization of the Spatial Pattern of County Rural Settlements: A Case Study of Changshu City in the Yangtze River Delta, China

The development model of rural settlements in economically developed regions has reference and guiding significance for other developing rural settlements. The study was conducted to discuss the spatial distribution and scale structure evolution characteristics, in order to understand the development process and the problems of rural settlements in Changshu City, Jiangsu Province. Then, based on the multi-stage goals of Rural Revitalization of “pole–field–zone–network”, a multi-stage rural settlement spatial structure was revealed to promote the optimization of settlement layout and promote urban–rural integration. The data of rural settlements were extracted from the land use data of nearly 20 years from 2000 to 2020. Different research methods were utilized for the study. The results revealed that the spatial pattern and scale structure of rural settlements in Changshu had experienced two periods of drastic changes and stable adjustment in the past 20 years. The rural settlement density generally presented a spatial pattern of dense in the north, sparse in the South and sparse in the East. The scale system of rural settlements tended to disperse from centralization, but the spatial agglomeration was enhanced. Finally, based on the above research results and problems, a “pole–field–zone–network” multi-stage settlement structure was revealed, which helps to form a reasonable urban and rural network.