Research on the Siting of Rural Public Cultural Space Based on the Path-Clustering Algorithm: A Case Study of Yumin Township, Yushu City, Jilin Province, China

Cultural revitalization is the foundation of rural revitalization. Rural public cultural spaces are important places for rural residents to participate in cultural activities and important carriers for the occurrence, inheritance and development of rural culture. In this study, we propose a siting analysis method for public cultural spaces based on a path-clustering algorithm. Then, Yumin Township in Jilin Province is used as a case study to test the method. Within the township area, public cultural spaces are divided into three types based on the difference in service scope: “single-village decentralized”, “single-village concentration” and “multi-village concentration”. This paper focuses on the analysis of the siting of the “multi-village concentration” type of public cultural spaces using a path-clustering algorithm. First, the path-clustering algorithm is written, and then its parameters, initial clustering centers and number of clusters are analyzed for their effect on the clustering results. Two parameters, within-cluster sum of path distance (WCSPD) and maximum value of the path distance within-cluster (MPDWC), are proposed to evaluate the results of the algorithm. Then, taking Yumin Township of Jilin Province as an example, the villages in the township are clustered with travel distance as the main influencing factor. It is ensured that the shortest path distance from the central village in each cluster to other villages is no greater than the set travel distance. Finally, the public cultural space is constructed in the central village to serve all villages in the cluster. This siting analysis method can output a variety of results that can be used as a reference for decision making in rural public cultural space planning.