Type recognition and optimization path of rural modernization based on county-level scale: A case study of Zhejiang province

The evaluation and classification of rural modernization development levels is a hot topic in rural revitalization research and can provide a scientific basis for the classification and phased implementation of rural revitalization strategies. Taking Zhejiang province, a demonstration area for common prosperity, as an example, this paper constructs a rural modernization evaluation index system from four dimensions: industrial system, public service, quality of life, and governance system. The entropy method measures the rural modernization level of 52 counties in Zhejiang province from 2011 to 2022 and explores its spatiotemporal evolution characteristics, type identification, driving factors, and optimization paths. The results show that: (1) The overall level of rural modernization development in Zhejiang counties presents a temporal evolution of "medium-sized and steadily improving" and a spatial gradient of "high in the east and low in the west, cluster locking". Among them, the modernization of the industrial system and the modernization of quality of life are leading; the modernization of public services is relatively lagging, and the modernization of the governance system still has room for improvement. (2) Government intervention, economic level, social development, technological progress, industrial base, and transportation facilities have significant spatial heterogeneity on rural modernization, which is manifested as a spatial differentiation feature of overlapping strips and sheets. (3) Based on their overall level of rural modernization and dimensional characteristics, the 52 counties are categorized into four development types: lagging development, single-dimensional dominant, dual-dimensional driven, and multi-dimensional comprehensive. Accordingly, this paper proposes a rural modernization pathway tailored to local conditions, offering both theoretical insights and practical references for advancing comprehensive revitalization and high-quality rural development in Zhejiang and similar regions nationwide.