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Quantifying the spatiotemporal dynamics and drivers of urban blue spaces in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region using remote sensing

Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Urban blue spaces are essential for water security, ecological restoration, and urban livability, yet long-term assessments often emphasize changes in area while broader landscape-pattern changes remain less well understood. Using the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region as a case study, this study examined changes in blue-space area and the Composite Landscape Index (CI) from 2000 to 2023 and compared their associations with demographic, socioeconomic, and environmental factors. Blue-space area declined significantly across the region, with a clear change point in 2009, accompanied by increasing fragmentation and declining structural connectivity. CI also decreased significantly at the regional scale, whereas the city-level trends of blue-space area and CI were not always aligned. Population, vegetation conditions (FVC and NDVI), and urbanization jointly accounted for approximately 84%–87% of the model-based importance for both blue-space area and CI, although their relative importance differed between the two variables. These findings show that blue-space area and CI describe different dimensions of long-term blue-space change, and that regional trends may mask substantial city-level differences. By distinguishing areal change from landscape-pattern change across regional and city scales, this study broadens the perspective of urban blue-space assessment, advances the understanding of its multidimensional dynamics, and provides a basis for long-term monitoring, cross-city comparison, and differentiated assessment in rapidly urbanizing regions.
DOI: 10.1016/j.indic.2026.101525
Language: English
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,350
OpenAlex ID: W7213412393
FWCI:
Cites: 52
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Related to: 10