Urban-to-Rural Migration as an Influential Factor for Vernacular Village Revitalization: A Building-Scale Assessment of Migrants’ Spatial–Lifestyle Interventions on Traditional Values in Zhejiang, China

Urban-to-rural migration is reshaping vernacular villages through transformations in both architectural form and everyday life. This study focuses on three villages in Zhejiang Province, China, and their migrants from urban areas, investigating—through field surveys and interviews—how urban-to-rural migrants’ spatial and lifestyle interventions influence the preservation and transformation of traditional architecture and local cultural practices. Findings indicate that urban-to-rural migrants exhibit diverse spatial preferences and lifestyle patterns, leading to varied modes of building adaptation. Some prioritize modern styles and commercial functions, while others emphasize cultural continuity, community engagement, or individual expression. Most buildings undergo incremental modifications rather than complete reconstruction, reflecting a balance among regulatory constraints, financial considerations, and personal aspirations. Furthermore, some migrants retain traditional spatial hierarchies and layout logic in their architectural designs, thereby sustaining vernacular lifestyles such as intergenerational cohabitation and neighborhood interaction. These building practices also have demonstrative effects within the village, encouraging others to value local culture and spatial traditions. In contrast, other migrants, driven by modern aesthetics or commercial objectives, restructure or even disrupt traditional spatial models, resulting in the fragmentation and weakening of established value systems. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of how urban-to-rural migration reshapes the spatial organization of traditional villages and can inform more flexible and context-sensitive rural planning practices.