Landscape-Based Assessment of Urban Resilience and Its Evolution: A Case Study of the Central City of Shenyang

Abstract

Urban resilience is increasingly considered a useful approach to accommodate uncertainties while achieving sustainability in urban systems, especially in the context of rapid urbanization and global environmental change. However, current research on the quantitative assessment of urban resilience is limited. This study introduces four proxies of urban resilience, i.e., diversity, connectivity, decentralization, and self-sufficiency, and the perspective of the urban landscape for the measurement of urban resilience and further guidance on planning practices by establishing connections between resilience potential and landscape characteristics. Using multi-source data and employing landscape-based analysis methods, urban resilience is investigated from 1995 to 2015 in the central city of Shenyang. The results indicate that the composition and configuration of the urban landscape changed significantly during this period, which had a great influence on urban resilience. The temporal and spatial evolution of urban resilience showed obviously directional preferences and an evident distance effect. Overall, the resilience level increased slightly, while the internal differences experienced a declining trend. The four characteristics can be deployed as practical principles to shape urban resilience. The adjustment and trade-offs of these aspects to enhance responsive structures and simultaneously maintain sustainable ecosystem services can be effective ways to realize long-term resilience.