Pursuing total volume or efficiency? A study on the coupling pattern of rural population and space: A case study from Huangyan District, Zhejiang Province, China

Abstract

Under globalization, rural areas worldwide are experiencing population decline and built-space decay. Traditional rural development theories posit a positive correlation between residential population size and built-space efficiency. Following this theoretical assumption, China’s eastern coastal villages should follow the trajectory of rural decline observed in developed nations. However, a paradoxical phenomenon of “quantity reduction with quality enhancement” has emerged in some eastern villages, which cannot be adequately explained by conventional “aggregate quantity coupling” models linking population and built space. This study proposes an “efficiency coupling” theoretical framework, demonstrating that rural systems can maintain vitality through spatial efficiency compensation when quantity balance falters. We identify three underlying mechanisms driving this transition and validate the efficiency coupling model through multi-scale case studies in Huangyan District and Shatian Village, Zhejiang Province. The analysis particularly examines Shatian Village’s efficiency coupling mechanisms through two critical dimensions: companionship-based planning and multi-stakeholder co-creation. These findings offer new insights for villages grappling with population loss and spatial decay during urbanization processes.