Space Gene Quantification and Mapping of Traditional Settlements in Jiangnan Water Town: Evidence from Yubei Village in the Nanxi River Basin

The spatial genes of rural settlements show a lot of different traditional settlement traits, which makes them a great starting point for studying rural spatial morphology. However, qualitative and macro-regional statistical indicators are usually used to find and extract rural settlement spatial ge...

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Main Authors: Yuhao Huang, Zibin Ye, Qian Zhang, Yile Chen, Wenkun Wu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Buildings
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/14/2571
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author Yuhao Huang
Zibin Ye
Qian Zhang
Yile Chen
Wenkun Wu
author_facet Yuhao Huang
Zibin Ye
Qian Zhang
Yile Chen
Wenkun Wu
author_sort Yuhao Huang
collection DOAJ
description The spatial genes of rural settlements show a lot of different traditional settlement traits, which makes them a great starting point for studying rural spatial morphology. However, qualitative and macro-regional statistical indicators are usually used to find and extract rural settlement spatial genes. Taking Yubei Village in the Nanxi River Basin as an example, this study combined remote sensing images, real-time drone mapping, GIS (geographic information system), and space syntax, extracted 12 key indicators from five dimensions (landform and water features (environment), boundary morphology, spatial structure, street scale, and building scale), and quantitatively “decoded” the spatial genes of the settlement. The results showed that (1) the settlement is a “three mountains and one water” pattern, with cultivated land accounting for 37.4% and forest land accounting for 34.3% of the area within the 500 m buffer zone, while the landscape spatial diversity index (LSDI) is 0.708. (2) The boundary morphology is compact and agglomerated, and locally complex but overall orderly, with an aspect ratio of 1.04, a comprehensive morphological index of 1.53, and a comprehensive fractal dimension of 1.31. (3) The settlement is a “clan core–radial lane” network: the global integration degree of the axis to the holy hall is the highest (0.707), and the local integration degree R3 peak of the six-room ancestral hall reaches 2.255. Most lane widths are concentrated between 1.2 and 2.8 m, and the eaves are mostly higher than 4 m, forming a typical “narrow lanes and high houses” water town streetscape. (4) The architectural style is a combination of black bricks and gray tiles, gable roofs and horsehead walls, and “I”-shaped planes (63.95%). This study ultimately constructed a settlement space gene map and digital library, providing a replicable quantitative process for the diagnosis of Jiangnan water town settlements and heritage protection planning.
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spelling doaj-art-48ed3b0b0de3474a8aea2a6cc72b02a22025-08-20T03:58:30ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092025-07-011514257110.3390/buildings15142571Space Gene Quantification and Mapping of Traditional Settlements in Jiangnan Water Town: Evidence from Yubei Village in the Nanxi River BasinYuhao Huang0Zibin Ye1Qian Zhang2Yile Chen3Wenkun Wu4Institute of Urban and Sustainable Development, City University of Macau, Avenida do Dr. Rodrigo Rodrigues, Edf. Royal Center-3º Andar, Taipa, Macau 999078, ChinaInstitute of Urban and Sustainable Development, City University of Macau, Avenida do Dr. Rodrigo Rodrigues, Edf. Royal Center-3º Andar, Taipa, Macau 999078, ChinaSchool of General Education, Wenzhou Polytechnic, No. 737, Station Avenue, Lucheng District, Wenzhou 325035, ChinaFaculty of Humanities and Arts, Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenida Wai Long, Tapai, Macau 999078, ChinaInstitute of Urban and Sustainable Development, City University of Macau, Avenida do Dr. Rodrigo Rodrigues, Edf. Royal Center-3º Andar, Taipa, Macau 999078, ChinaThe spatial genes of rural settlements show a lot of different traditional settlement traits, which makes them a great starting point for studying rural spatial morphology. However, qualitative and macro-regional statistical indicators are usually used to find and extract rural settlement spatial genes. Taking Yubei Village in the Nanxi River Basin as an example, this study combined remote sensing images, real-time drone mapping, GIS (geographic information system), and space syntax, extracted 12 key indicators from five dimensions (landform and water features (environment), boundary morphology, spatial structure, street scale, and building scale), and quantitatively “decoded” the spatial genes of the settlement. The results showed that (1) the settlement is a “three mountains and one water” pattern, with cultivated land accounting for 37.4% and forest land accounting for 34.3% of the area within the 500 m buffer zone, while the landscape spatial diversity index (LSDI) is 0.708. (2) The boundary morphology is compact and agglomerated, and locally complex but overall orderly, with an aspect ratio of 1.04, a comprehensive morphological index of 1.53, and a comprehensive fractal dimension of 1.31. (3) The settlement is a “clan core–radial lane” network: the global integration degree of the axis to the holy hall is the highest (0.707), and the local integration degree R3 peak of the six-room ancestral hall reaches 2.255. Most lane widths are concentrated between 1.2 and 2.8 m, and the eaves are mostly higher than 4 m, forming a typical “narrow lanes and high houses” water town streetscape. (4) The architectural style is a combination of black bricks and gray tiles, gable roofs and horsehead walls, and “I”-shaped planes (63.95%). This study ultimately constructed a settlement space gene map and digital library, providing a replicable quantitative process for the diagnosis of Jiangnan water town settlements and heritage protection planning.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/14/2571Jiangnan water towntraditional settlementspatial genemap constructionNanxi River Basin
spellingShingle Yuhao Huang
Zibin Ye
Qian Zhang
Yile Chen
Wenkun Wu
Space Gene Quantification and Mapping of Traditional Settlements in Jiangnan Water Town: Evidence from Yubei Village in the Nanxi River Basin
Buildings
Jiangnan water town
traditional settlement
spatial gene
map construction
Nanxi River Basin
title Space Gene Quantification and Mapping of Traditional Settlements in Jiangnan Water Town: Evidence from Yubei Village in the Nanxi River Basin
title_full Space Gene Quantification and Mapping of Traditional Settlements in Jiangnan Water Town: Evidence from Yubei Village in the Nanxi River Basin
title_fullStr Space Gene Quantification and Mapping of Traditional Settlements in Jiangnan Water Town: Evidence from Yubei Village in the Nanxi River Basin
title_full_unstemmed Space Gene Quantification and Mapping of Traditional Settlements in Jiangnan Water Town: Evidence from Yubei Village in the Nanxi River Basin
title_short Space Gene Quantification and Mapping of Traditional Settlements in Jiangnan Water Town: Evidence from Yubei Village in the Nanxi River Basin
title_sort space gene quantification and mapping of traditional settlements in jiangnan water town evidence from yubei village in the nanxi river basin
topic Jiangnan water town
traditional settlement
spatial gene
map construction
Nanxi River Basin
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/14/2571
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