URBAN GREENSPACE MORPHOLOGY IN SMALL CITIES: A MULTI-DIMENSIONAL ASSESSMENT FROM CHINA’S LIXIAHE REGION

The importance of urban greenspace in achieving sustainable development is widely acknowledged, yet assessments of UGM (urban greenspace morphology, UGM) remain underexplored, particularly in small cities.This study examined seven small cities in China's Lixiahe region, which share similar developmental levels but exhibit varying greenspace conditions.A comprehensive sixdimensional assessment framework was developed, integrating urban morphology and landscape ecology.Spatial analyses using FRAGSTATS and ArcGIS revealed significant morphological differences among the cities, with Dongtai scoring highest (73.17% high-level areas) and Xinghua lowest (12.53%).Highlevel UGM areas were predominantly concentrated in the urban fringes, decreasing toward city centers, indicating a gradient in distribution.Quantitative results showed minor differences in compactness and connectivity, but greater variation in fragmentation and evenness.Grey correlation analysis further demonstrated a significant relationship between UGM scores and the proximity of greenspaces to the water system morphology, with cities showing closer ties to water systems achieving higher rankings.Based on these findings, the study proposes targeted optimization strategies for each city.This research contributes novel perspectives and methodologies for UGM assessment and optimization, offering practical guidance for rational and effective planning, construction, and management of urban greenspaces.