中心地理论提供了研究城镇体系的空间布局和等级结构的方法，对农村地区集镇体系研究更具有指导意义。本文以中心地理论为基础，对江苏省赣榆县和灌云县集镇体系的基本结构、形成机制及现伏集镇体系的不合理性进行了分析，并提出了二县集镇体系布局的优化设计。

This paper looks at the application of the central place theory to Chinese rural settlementplanning in Ganyu and Guanyun conuties. Jiangsu Province. The theory is one of the basictheories providing an accunt of the size and distribution of settlements within an urban system.The focus is made on significant role of county-town in setting rural settlement system andrural settlement planning. The aim of this paper is to relate natural condition and economicdevelopment to the spatial pattern of settlement system and to the forming process of settlementsystem in Ganyu and Guanyun counties. Finally, the cause of divergence and a preliminaryplan of improving rural settlement system, are discussed. The maps show the distribution ofboth counties’ settlement, which is identified with central place model.