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Article

Assessing Variations in River Networks Under Urbanization Across Metropolitan Plains Using a Multi-Metric Approach

1
Key Laboratory of Rural Environmental Remediation and Waste Recycling (Quanzhou Normal University), Fujian Province University, Quanzhou 362000, China
2
School of Resource and Environmental Sciences, Quanzhou Normal University, Quanzhou 362000, China
3
School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
4
State Key Laboratory of Water Disaster Prevention, Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute, Nanjing 210029, China
5
College of Hydraulic Science and Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225000, China
6
School of Resource and Environmental Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Land 2025, 14(10), 1994; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14101994 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 31 July 2025 / Revised: 27 September 2025 / Accepted: 1 October 2025 / Published: 4 October 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Urban Contexts and Urban-Rural Interactions)

Abstract

Urbanization, characterized by rapid construction land expansion, has transformed natural landscapes and significantly altered river networks in emerging metropolitan areas. Understanding the historical and current conditions of river networks is crucial for policy-making in sustainable urban development planning. Based on the topographic maps and remote sensing images, this study employs a multi-metric framework to investigate river network variations in the Suzhou-Wuxi-Changzhou metropolitan area, a rapidly urbanized plain with high-density river networks in the Yangtze River Delta, China. The results indicate a significant decline in the quantity of rivers, with the average river density in built-up areas falling from 2.70 km·km−2 in the 1960s to 1.95 km·km−2 in the 2010s, along with notable variations in the river network’s structure, complexity and its storage and regulation capacity. Moreover, shifts in the structural characteristics of river networks reveal that urbanization has a weaker impact on main streams but plays a dominant role in altering tributaries. The analysis demonstrates the extensive burial and modification of rivers across the metropolitan plains. These findings underscore the essence of incorporating river network protection and restoration into sustainable urban planning, providing insights for water resource management and resilient city development in rapidly urbanizing regions.
Keywords: river network; fluvial geomorphology; main stream; tributary; urbanization; metropolitan area river network; fluvial geomorphology; main stream; tributary; urbanization; metropolitan area

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Lin, Z.; Luo, S.; Lu, M.; Dai, S.; Xu, Y. Assessing Variations in River Networks Under Urbanization Across Metropolitan Plains Using a Multi-Metric Approach. Land 2025, 14, 1994. https://doi.org/10.3390/land14101994

AMA Style

Lin Z, Luo S, Lu M, Dai S, Xu Y. Assessing Variations in River Networks Under Urbanization Across Metropolitan Plains Using a Multi-Metric Approach. Land. 2025; 14(10):1994. https://doi.org/10.3390/land14101994

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lin, Zhixin, Shuang Luo, Miao Lu, Shaoqing Dai, and Youpeng Xu. 2025. "Assessing Variations in River Networks Under Urbanization Across Metropolitan Plains Using a Multi-Metric Approach" Land 14, no. 10: 1994. https://doi.org/10.3390/land14101994

APA Style

Lin, Z., Luo, S., Lu, M., Dai, S., & Xu, Y. (2025). Assessing Variations in River Networks Under Urbanization Across Metropolitan Plains Using a Multi-Metric Approach. Land, 14(10), 1994. https://doi.org/10.3390/land14101994

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