Urban features of Lingnan town analyzed using multi-source online image: A case study of 81 central towns in the Pearl River Delta, Guangdong, China

The advancement of digital technology has greatly improved the accessibility and convenience of public participation via the internet, enabling the quantitative evaluation of urban imagery. To quantitatively analyze urban features from an internet-based perspective, this study integrates image and text data from 81 central towns in the Pearl River Delta, Guangdong, China, selected based on their eligibility for image retrieval from search engines. By examining the relationships between image types, high-frequency words, and regional spatial patterns, the study identifies typological differences among the towns, aiming to systematically categorize and comprehensively evaluate their urban landscape characteristics. Building on Kevin Lynch’s city image theory, this article presents a detailed exploration and empirical analysis of urban image, specifically focusing on small- and medium-sized towns in the Lingnan region.