Perspective on traditional village spatial order based on directed weighted networks: a case study of Banliang Village

Abstract

This study constructs a directed weighted network among traditional village buildings based on directional similarity and utilizes social network analysis to identify influential buildings affecting spatial order. Key findings include: 1) Centrality Measures; Weighted degree, eigenvector, and betweenness centrality quantify the influence of building nodes in terms of quantity, quality, and importance, respectively. 2) Influential Buildings; High centrality buildings are not necessarily ‘star buildings’. Their impact is implicit and local, contrasting with the explicit and holistic influence of ‘star buildings’. 3) Community Structure; The village forms seven sub-communities with a modularity of 0.681, reflecting ideal community division. Community consistency is influenced by factors like size, the presence of ancient buildings, and morphology. 4) Spatial Order; Centrality distribution among nodes varies between communities. Communities rich in ancient buildings show a complex, organic order, suggesting self-organization, while those with modern buildings exhibit a more rigid layout, indicating imposed order. This research offers methodological insights for traditional village spatial morphology and provides guidance for conservation and planning.

Keywords

• Traditional villages
• traditional buildings
• spatial form
• spatial order
• directed weighted network