Multidimensional Spatial–Cultural Clustering of Traditional Villages in Northwestern Yunnan Based on a Four-Dimensional Analytical Framework for Sustainable Conservation

作者：Juncheng Zeng, Xueguo Guan, Xi Zhang, Yong Li, Shiyu Wei, Yu Chen, Junfeng Yin, Yaoning Yang · 发表于：Sustainability · 年份：2026 · DOI：10.3390/su18083818 · 被引用次数：1 · 研究领域：Land Use and Ecosystem Services、Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation、Agricultural Systems and Practices

Traditional villages in ecologically fragile and multi-ethnic frontier regions are increasingly threatened by rapid urbanization and socio-economic transformation. Northwestern Yunnan, located in the longitudinal valleys of the Hengduan Mountains, represents a key cultural landscape of plateau agropastoral civilization and ethnic interaction, yet its spatial organization and clustering mechanisms remain insufficiently understood. This study develops a four-dimensional analytical framework integrating four dimensions—spatial morphology (village distribution patterns and density), geomorphological conditions (elevation, slope, and terrain features), cultural attributes (ethnic composition and historical-cultural corridors), and architectural typologies (dominant residential structure types) to examine 246 officially recognized traditional villages. Using GIS-based spatial statistics, kernel density estimation (KDE), spatial autocorrelation, and a hierarchical overlay model, the study identifies the spatial structure (distribution patterns and density gradients), environmental adaptability (relationships with elevation, slope, and hydrological conditions), and multidimensional clustering characteristics (integrated clustering intensity across four analytical dimensions) of settlements. The results reveal a highly uneven and a statistically significant clustered spatial pattern (R = 0.606, Moran’s I = 0.251, p < 0.05) characterized by a “two corridors–six clusters–multiple nod...