Abstract: Based on the land use change investigation and statistical yearbook of Chongqing City from 2009 to 2018, spatio-temporal evolution of rural settlements was analyzed by using GIS spatial analysis method and landscape pattern index. The results showed that, in scale, the rural settlements in the study area showed a contraction tendency, the size difference between patches decreased, and the micro settlements were the main landscape features. There was an obvious negative correlation between patch size and patch number, and showing the characteristics of a decrease in large patches and an increase in sporadic patches. There was a spatial correlation in the scale of rural settlements, with two types of agglomeration： high-high agglomeration and high-low agglomeration. In spatial distribution, the rural residential areas in the study area mainly exhibited a distribution pattern of dense in the west and sparse in the east, and the distribution characteristics of “large diaspora and small settlement”. Besides, the rural settlements were mainly distributed in low altitude areas, but it was not significantly affected by the first and second-class rivers of the Yangtze River. The overall pattern had not changed significantly in the past decade. In morphology, the morphology of rural residential areas in the study area tended to be irregular, indicating that the planning guidance function was not strong, and there were obvious spatial differentiation characteristics in space.

Key words: rural settlements, spatio-temporal evolution, mountainous city, Chongqing City