Spatial differentiation and influencing factors of traditional villages and intangible cultural heritage: a Haihe River Basin case study based on OPGD-MGWR

This study investigates the spatial differentiation characteristics and influencing mechanisms of traditional villages (TVs) and intangible cultural heritage (ICH) in the Haihe River Basin, China, through a multi-scale spatial analysis framework. By integrating spatial statistical analysis, the Optimal Parameter Geographical Detector (OPGD), and the Multi-scale Geographically Weighted Regression (MGWR) model, this study identifies the spatial distribution patterns, driving factors, and scale-dependent effects influencing the differentiation of TVs and ICH. The results indicate that both TVs and ICH exhibit significant spatial agglomeration, but with distinct spatial patterns: TVs show linear clustering characteristics along mountainous areas, whereas ICH presents clustered distributions around central cities. The spatial differentiation of TVs is primarily governed by natural factors, particularly elevation and temperature, while ICH is mainly influenced by socioeconomic factors. Notably, the MGWR results reveal the spatially heterogeneous and dual effects of socioeconomic factors on ICH distribution: population concentration and economic vitality promote ICH aggregation in some metropolitan regions, whereas rapid economic modernization may weaken traditional cultural inheritance environments in other areas. Furthermore, interactions among influencing factors significantly enhance their explanatory power for the spatial differentiation of cultural heritage, demonstrating that the distribution patterns of TVs and ICH are jointly shaped by natural, socioeconomic, and topographic factors. Based on these findings, this study proposes differentiated strategies for the collaborative conservation and sustainable development of TVs and ICH.