Abstract
There is often a close spatial relationship between urban development and water bodies. Functionally, the relationship can also be in many forms: from water supply for human and industrial use to purely aesthetic functions. These relationships are all, in their own way, critical elements of the sustainability of urban development, making the careful management for water bodies and riparian areas of fundamental importance. This study quantifies the historical changes of urban development pattern in lakesides of 27 lakes located in Wuhan’s main urban area. Image data from 1989-2009 is used to analyze the spatial changes in a GIS environment. The study shows how the land development, such as urban construction, transportation and agricultural development have affected the riparian areas of these water bodies. It discloses objective laws governing the historical changes of Wuhan’s lakeside pattern, and the correlations among the laws to provide strong technical support and theoretical reference for the future integrated development and protection of Wuhan’s lakes and to present decision-making support for urban construction and management.