Spatio-temporal evolution patterns of flow space and its impact on urban-rural construction land transformation: A case study of the Yellow River Basin

• Cities in economically advanced regions, especially in the middle and lower reaches of the YRB, exhibited stronger inter-city connection. • Cities within the YRB were categorized into four subgroups based on integrated flow, with each subgroup comprising four distinct urban niche role types. • From the upper to the lower reaches of the YRB, the urban construction land area generally showed an increasing trend. • The DPSIR theoretical framework constructed in this paper is validated within the YRB. • Different strategies for the coordinated development of flow elements and construction land within the basin were recommended. To reveal the spatiotemporal structure of urban networks in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) and its impact on urban-rural construction land transformation, we developed a comprehensive-flow spatial model, combining social network analysis and urban niche analysis. Key findings include: (1) Cities in economically advanced regions, particularly in the middle and lower YRB, exhibit stronger inter-city connections. (2) Cites are grouped into four subgroups, highlighting the diverse roles of geographically proximate cities. (3) The DRSIR-PLS framework is validated, demonstrating that integrated flows promote urban-rural construction land expansion. These findings highlight the value of regional flow space analysis and the DPSIR-PLS framework in guiding sustainable regional development strategies.