Evaluation and Promotion Strategy of Rural Human Settlements for Aging in Chongqing

The current global population aging trend has intensified, especially in rural areas. As vital spatial carriers supporting multiple activities of older adults, rural human settlements have become key settings for addressing the challenges of aging. However, current efforts to improve rural human settlements primarily focus on enhancing the overall appearance of villages. This approach fails to adequately address the specific needs of older adults. Chongqing is a typical mountainous city, facing deep aging and significant regional disparities. It is also confronted with realities such as spatial fragmentation, scattered facilities, and low service accessibility. So Chongqing urgently requires systematic assessment and targeted interventions. To transcend the traditional one-size-fits-all governance in rural human settlements, the concept of “rural human settlements for aging” is introduced in this article, to establish an age-sensitive governance logic. Based on 2023 cross-sectional data, this article evaluates the level of the rural human settlements in Chongqing by establishing an index system, and employs global spatial correlation and local spatial correlation to analyze the spatial correlation patterns. The geographic detector model and the obstacle degree model are used to delve into the key obstacle factors influencing and hindering rural human settlements. The results indicate that despite exhibiting a pronounced spatial clustering pattern, spatial disparities remain quite evident. The spatial differentiation presents a pattern of “high in the west and low in the east, led by a single core area.” Elderly service facilities constitute the main external obstacle. The relationship between social security and family support within welfare systems represents the primary internal obstacle. Transportation conditions serve as the key interactive obstacle. Based on an analysis of the primary obstacles in each region, the promotion strategy is categorized into three types: facility enhancement type, characteristic amplification type and comprehensive upgrading type. This article aims to advance the transformation of rural human settlements from “universal design” to “age-friendly design.” It provides a reference framework for rural human settlements development in the context of an aging population.