Expanded Residential Lands and Reduced Populations in China, 2000–2020: Patch-Scale Observations of Rural Settlements

The spatiotemporal transformations of rural residential lands and populations reflect changes in human–land relations. This study uses high-precision land patches population distribution data to detect the area, density, spatial heterogeneity newly added (NARRL) China from 2000 2020 through local clustering geographically weighted regression. patch results were summarized into county-level units for regional comparison, identification, policy recommendations. main conclusions are as follows: (1) total area increased by 13.86% between 2020. average density NARRL (APDNARRL) at scale is 701.64 person/km2, significantly exceeding 507.23 person/km2 remaining patches. (2) There obvious differences APDNARRL per statistics. significant on both sides Hu Huanyong Line; left lower than that right. (3) Spatial was found be among driving factors APDNARRL. also detected number location hollowing counties; it monitoring dynamic lands, revealing their patterns factors, thus improving optimization resources.