4.2.4. Spatial Change of the Rural Settlements from 2000 to 2010

From 2000 to 2010, the state encouraged the consolidation of rural construction land and proposed that increases in urban construction land should be linked to the reduction of rural construction land. Dingzhou stepped up the consolidation of rural residential land, which was mainly characterised by exploring the withdrawal mechanism of homesteads and encouraging farmers to vacate excess homesteads. The changes to rural settlements in Dingzhou city mainly followed an expansion pattern, retreated pattern and urbanisation pattern during this period (Figures 5 and 6). There were large-scale reductions in rural settlements during this period, mainly in towns and towns in the east, northwest and southeast of Dingzhou, such as Dongting Town, Dongwang Town, Xicheng Town, Dalu Zhuang Town and Haotou Zhuang Hui Township. The average annual growth rates of the area of rural settlements were –2.93%, –1.67%, –0.57%, –0.53%, and –0.26%, respectively. Although rural settlements showed an expansion trend compared with 1990–2000, the expansion rate of urban land in Dingzhou slowed in the next 10 years, and the growth rate decreased from 1.81% to 1.26%.
