Research on the spatial evolution process and reconfiguration pathway of mountainous cities based on the human-water relationship in river basins—A case study of Yichang City, Hubei Province, China

As the earliest geographical unit of human activities, river basins have nurtured civilizations with distinct local characteristics. The ''human-water relationship'' is a key aspect of ''human-environment interaction,'' driving the evolution of urban and rural systems through human adaptation to water. Using Yichang as a case, this paper analyzes population and land use changes to explore the evolution of its ''mountain-water-city'' spatial pattern. Yichang grows incrementally along the river, forming a compact multi-cluster layout. At the same time, influenced by the significant and special event of the Three Gorges Project construction, the city has undergone rapid ''leapfrog'' development. Amid population mobility and river basin management needs, Yichang should use its ''water'' feature to integrate function, scale, and structure, focusing on water protection and utilization to ensure national and energy security. Secondly, amidst the general trend of declining total population and slowing growth, it is necessary to reasonably guide the aggregation and distribution of population within urban spaces based on the resource carrying capacity of each river basin. Finally, Yichang should break linear development inertia, focus on dual city centers, and redirect leading industries from rivers/roads to the eastern industrial city.