Spatiotemporal evolution and drivers of rural multifunctional transformation in metropolitan areas: A case study of Beijing

Amid deepening global urbanization, rural multifunctional transformation in metropolitan regions has become a key pathway toward urban–rural integration. However, existing research has yet to conceptualize this transformation as a dynamic process, limiting understanding of its evolutionary trajectories and driving mechanisms. Using 147 townships in Beijing as a case study, this study develops a six-dimensional evaluation framework encompassing agricultural production, economic development, social security, cultural recreation, ecological conservation, and technological innovation. Spatial analysis, correlation assessment, and K-means clustering are combined to examine functional evolution, interactions, and typological transitions between 2010 and 2020. The findings indicate that: (1) agricultural production declined while non-agricultural functions strengthened, producing a composite spatial pattern of distance-decay gradients, peripheral enhancement, resource-based peaks, and node-based clustering; (2) correlation analysis revealed strong synergies among agricultural, economic, and social security functions, positive associations with technological innovation, and trade-offs with ecological conservation; (3) six functional types were identified, with transitions following multiple pathways of functional substitution, strategic embedding, resource valorization, and institutional lock-in; and (4) a four-dimensional driving framework—natural endowment, urbanization dynamics, evolving urban–rural demand, and policy–institutional regulation—clarifies how interacting mechanisms generate differentiated functional gradients and typological transitions. This study advances the understanding of how rural functions evolve and reorganize under metropolitan urbanization, providing new insights into the dynamic and multi-scalar transformation of rural areas.