A systematic review of factors influencing spatial characteristics of rural settlements

Rural settlements are experiencing significant transformations. Understanding the factors and mechanisms influencing their spatial evolution is important for effective planning and long-term development. This study analyzes scholarly articles on the spatial characteristics and evolution of rural settlements, published in the Web of Science and Scopus since 2019. The analysis identified the following contributing factors: topography, hydrology, natural disasters, climate, economic factors, location, transportation, population, culture, policy, and security. The key findings include: (1) Relevant research since 2019 has focused on developing countries with temporal scopes largely covering the past two to four decades. (2) The literature focuses more on population, economy, policy, and location, while coverage of hydrology, natural hazards, security, and topography is relatively sparse. (3) Studies adopt interdisciplinary perspectives and rely primarily on quantitative methods complemented by qualitative analysis. (4) The effects of key factors show pronounced spatiotemporal heterogeneity and vary across scales. (5) Rural settlements are increasingly displaying distinct characteristics of “facility-orientation” and multifunctional development. (6) The findings underscore the need for farmers’ perspective data and multi-scalar research framework. The findings deepen understanding of rural settlement spatial evolution and provide a scientific evidence base for sustainable management and rural development policy.