## 4 Village Clusters, Dual Effects, and Transport Advantage Shifting in Anxin County  
In terms of geographical proximity, nine village clusters in the county were identified, which have similar transportation accessibility and potential (Figure 15). Cluster I: This cluster pioneered in developing when the modern road network was first built and consequently gained a high transportation accessibility advantage. It benefited from the proximity of Rongcheng County and the Rongcheng-Lixian Provincial Highway. Its potential rose at first but then fell again, due to the construction of the northern section of the Rongcheng-Lixian Provincial Highway, which added a route to Rongcheng County and dispersed the flow. Cluster II: This cluster consists of semi-waterside villages, whose transportation accessibility advantage declined when the modern road network was first built but rose again after the re-routing of Xushui-Anxin County Highway, which increased connectivity with other road networks. The transportation accessibility advantage of this cluster is more reflected in their attraction of surrounding villages. This cluster is driven by both  
Figure 14: Village functionality categories in Anxin County. Figure 15: Village clusters in Anxin County. water transportation and the Xushui-Anxin County Highway, and thus most villages in the cluster enjoy both high transportation _accessibility_ and _potential_. Cluster III: This cluster is near the periphery of Anxin County and also consists of semi-waterside villages, which have a strong transportation accessibility advantage but was weakened slightly after the construction of the modern road network. However, because the cluster is close to the county administrative center, these villages enjoy high potential and retain a certain transportation accessibility advantage. Cluster IV: This cluster includes several semi-waterside villages along the Simen Dike and some inland villages. The former lost their advantage in transportation accessibility due to the construction of the modern road network. The latter kept a low level of transportation accessibility because of their sparse roads. The cluster should be prioritized for optimization because of the villages' low _potential_ if the current situation remains unchanged. Cluster V: The villages of this cluster are located along Baoding-Anxin Provincial Highway. Thus, they have both high transportation accessibility and _potential_. Cluster VI: This cluster is along the southern section of Rongcheng-Lixian Provincial Highway and thus has a certain transportation accessibility advantage. However, the linear arrangement of villages leads to some isolation from other villages and low potential. It should be prioritized for optimization, like Cluster IV. Cluster VII: This cluster is close to the Gaoyang-Baoding Provincial Highway. Villages in this cluster have shown a rapid rise in transportation accessibility since the completion of the modern road network. This cluster also has considerable _potential_. Cluster VIII and Cluster IX are Liulizhuang Town and Zhaili Town, respectively, which are in a similar situation. Surrounded by water on two sides, their transportation is characterized by strong internal cohesion but weak external links. However, benefiting from the convenience brought by the earlier water bodies, they have higher degrees of development and a higher potential for development. This description above of the nine clusters reveals the spatial imbalance in development opportunities among waterside villages in Anxin County. Some clusters should seek support from more powerful clusters. Imbalance among clusters shows the dual influence exerted by water bodies on water-side villages. The water limits the external connection of the villages via land transportation, such as Zhaili Town and Liulizhuang Town. Their centrality indices show a strong cohesion but weak external connectivity. In addition, the positive effect of the water body shows a path-dependent effect.