In order to revitalize rural areas fundamentally through multifunctional utilization of their resources, it should be necessary to prepare the rational development plan to the areal characteristics and conditions, and the first priority of its planning works should be given to spatial planning. The space syntax method, a powerful objective and quantitative analysis tool on the relationship between social and spatial characteristics, was introduced in this study. Five Comprehensive Rural Clustered Villages Development Areas in the Jeonnam-province were selected as case study areas, of which total area's and included villages' spatial variables were measured and analyzed. Rural villages analyzed in this study have the spatial structure badly systematized and much complicated, which results from low integration and deep spatial depth of them. And, by virtue of relatively many axial lines, there should be few differences between villages in terms of local integration, connectivity and control, while being significant difference in terms of global integration showing the whole areal characteristics. Intelligibility, the correlation coefficient between connectivity(local variable) and integration(global one) is low, which means that the spatial structure of the study areas is difficult for visitors to understand the area or village well. Spatial configuration analysis results in the case study areas showed that each development area has a unique spatial structure and is differentiated in terms of not only local spatial variables but also global spatial variables. Therefore, global and local characteristics should be considered in spatial analysis of development areas.

This study was carried out to propose some useful advices for the improvement policy of the minor rural roads. For the detailed case studies on structural improvement level of the minor rural roads, 5 county areas in Chonnam Province were selected ; Damyang (peri-urban), Gurye(remoter mountainous), Jindo(remotest island), Yuongam(intermediate flat) and Bosung (intermediate semi-mountainous). In each county, the official survey data on pavement types, widths and ratios of district(Myun in Korean) and parish(Ri in Korean) roads were collected. There were no apparent differences between district and parish roads in terms of structural improvement level, while the former was ranked higher than the latter in the minor rural road improvement law, so, the present hierarchial classification system of rural roads should be readjusted. And above a third of minor rural roads in the case study areas did not meet the statutory minimum level of road width, which means the necessity of substantial upgrade of road improvement works in rural areas.

This study was carried out to find out the time-dependent change of central functions in the depopulated rural areas. Three county areas were selected for the case study ; Haenam(as a remote flat area), Goksung(as an intermediate mountainous area), and Hwasun(as a peri-urban area). For each district area administered by each county, service facilities stock was surveyed at both the present('02) and the past('89 or '94)time, and its functional index checked. From the study results, table-tennis rooms, oil shops and inns were ascertained to be disappeared now in the absolute or real terms, while beer halls, restaurants and bakeries to be sharply increased. Generally, in spite of the substantial depopulation in the past decade, service facilities stock has been increased in and concentrated to the highest order center of rural area (county office seated district). However, where this center leans to the outer side of its county area and to the opposite direction against the regional center, the dependent level of service function on the highest center have decreased.