Evaluation of Spatial Structure Resilience in Coastal Traditional Villages Using Complex Network Analysis: Case Study of Rongcheng City, Shandong Province

Coastal traditional rural settlements face increasing challenges from human activities and natural disasters driven by global climate change and rapid urbanization. Ensuring their spatial stability is essential for ecological security, economic development, and social sustainability. This study addresses the lack of unified methodologies for assessing the resilience of regional traditional village clusters by proposing a "network construction-spatial simulation-resilience assessment" framework based on complex network theory. Using the Haicao housing village cluster in Rongcheng City, China, as a case study, a spatial network model was constructed, and resilience was evaluated under both current and future scenarios using eight resilience indicators. The results show that the current spatial network structure exhibits clustering with weak interconnections among subgroups. Key nodes significantly influence network metrics, resulting in low overall resilience. In future scenarios, protective measures targeting the top 15% of villages with high development potential enhanced social connections, reduced reliance on key nodes, and improved network resilience. This study provides a quantitative method for assessing the resilience of traditional village clusters and identifies critical pathways and nodes to optimize regional spatial structures. The findings offer new perspectives for guiding the preservation and sustainable development of traditional villages.