Typological Mapping of Urban Landscape Spatial Characteristics from the Perspective of Morphometrics

The characterization and mapping of urban landscape spatial form are critical for advancing sustainable planning and informed environmental management. From a morphometric perspective, this study introduces a novel, data-driven framework for typo-morphological analysis. First, morphological cells (MCs) are defined as objectively and universally applicable spatial units for morphometric investigation. Second, by integrating a multi-dimensional cognition of full-scale morphological and associated landscape elements, we construct a set of 48 spatial form indicators and attach them to morphological cells, enabling a precise description of each unit. Third, a Gaussian mixture model (GMM) is employed to cluster the metrical information within the spatially lagged context derived from the topological structure of the morphological cells, resulting in the delineation of distinct typo-morphological zones (TMZs). We then adopt Ward’s algorithm to establish a hierarchical relationship among identified urban landscape types. Using Wuxi City, China, as a case study, our results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework in capturing the heterogeneity and underlying connotation of urban landscape spatial characteristics. Building upon the unsupervised clustering results, we further apply the classification and regression tree (CART) to provide a supervised interpretation of the key spatial form conditions driving typological decisions. It facilitates the systematic identification of the components and formative mechanisms of spatial form. The findings contribute a scalable, reproducible, and interpretable typo-morphometric approach for analyzing urban landscape spatial characteristics, thereby providing a robust quantitative foundation for integrated decision-making in landscape planning, socio-ecological assessment, and urban design practices. More broadly, the study carries both applied and theoretical significance for advancing refined urban governance and fostering interdisciplinary research related to urban sustainable development.