Research on Linpan Identification in Chengdu Plain Based on Object Detection Technology (2016–2023)—A Case Study of PiDu District

Tens of thousands of ordinary traditional settlements remain clustered within specific geographic regions of China. Efficient and objective rapid identification of these settlements is crucial for preserving rural cultural heritage. This study takes the traditional settlement Linpan in the Chengdu Plain as a case study, focusing on Pidu District of Chengdu City in Sichuan Province, and proposes an innovative approach for rapid large scale surveys of common traditional settlements using object detection technology. Based on the technical requirements, the spatial characteristics of Linpan settlements in the Chengdu Plain were refined. High-resolution satellite images from 2016 and 2023 of Pidu were processed and cropped, and a diversified training dataset was constructed. After annotation, multiple rounds of training were conducted to develop a detection model based on YOLOv11. The model was then applied to identify thousands of rural settlements across the 438 km2 area of Pidu, followed by an evaluation of various detection parameters. The results demonstrate that this method can complete the identification of Linpan settlements across the entire Pidu in just 6–7 min, achieving a precision of 96.59% and a recall rate of 94.39%. In terms of efficiency and accuracy, this approach significantly outperforms visual interpretation and remote sensing interpretation methods. Furthermore, based on the detection results, the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of Linpan settlements during the study period were analyzed. This study aims to improve the surveying methods for traditional villages sand advance their conservation from “static observation” to “dynamic analysis”.