Human Settlement Assessment in Jinan From a Facility Resource Perspective

Abstract

Multisource data, spatial density analysis, and a gravity model were used to evaluate and analyze differentiation and controls of human settlement locations in Jinan, China. The results indicate the following. (a) The spatial distribution of human settlements follows a block-style, is axially extended, and has a multicenter development pattern with a significant circular structure. (b) The distributions of many settlement types are similar to the total settlement distribution. Residential space exhibits the highest correlation with public space, whereas financial space has the smallest correlation with business space. A high matching value for human settlement is found at the junction of the five districts in Jinan, whereas the Pingyin and Shanghe counties exhibit the lowest value. (c) Areas with human settlement exhibit typical hierarchies. Performance is dominated by the five districts, Zhangqiu is subdominant, and other districts represent an edge-dependent hierarchical system. Radial spatial settlement structures are centered on the five districts, with a centripetal and multicentric “western dense, eastern sparse” regional pattern. (d) Topography is the main factor that generates differentiation. Road network density affects the distribution and grade of human settlement areas, gross domestic factor is a key factor that affects the formation of human settlement structures, and population aggregation is a prerequisite for human settlement distribution, as well as a catalytic factor for differentiation of human settlements.