Understanding the relationship between population–land–industry element inputs and function outputs of rural settlement: An efficiency-based perspective

Abstract

Promoting the multifunctionality of rural settlements is a viable means for maximizing the diverse value of rural areas and addressing the challenges faced in rural development. The configuration of rural population–land–industry elements play a crucial role in determining the type and level of rural settlement functions (RSFs). This study constructed a systematic "input-output" linkage framework that connects rural population-land-industry elements with RSFs from an efficiency perspective. Using Pinggu District of Beijing as an example, we measured the function output efficiency of 271 rural settlements and proposed differentiated pathways to enhance RSF output efficiency under input-output balance. The findings show that from 2009 to 2021, Pinggu District's rural settlements saw improvements in living and production functions, while ecological functions declined, widening regional disparities. The effects of population, land, and industry inputs on different functions varied significantly, with correlations changing notably across temporal dimensions. The average function output efficiency of rural settlements remained at a moderate level, indicating considerable room for improvement. Villages with low RSF output efficiency clustered in the southwestern region of Pinggu, while those reaching effective RSF output states mostly concentrated around the urban area and in townships such as JHH, XEZ, and ZLY. Villages near the urban area and southwestern industrial parks experienced a decline in scale efficiency, whereas those in mountainous townships faced constraints from the "bottleneck effect" of technological efficiency. To achieve sustainable rural development, future policymakers should enhance planning forecasts, implement reforms to the rural land system, and adjust to demographic trends to coordinate rural population–land–industry allocations. Additionally, these efforts should be applied regionally and categorically to promote the efficiency of RSF output.