Using network modeling to explore the historical evolution of urban systems in the Jiangnan Canal area

Canals influence the formation and development of urban systems in adjacent regions, yet the spatial organization of cities within canal regions remains insufficiently examined. Focusing on the Jiangnan Canal area, this study constructs gravity-model-based historical urban networks and applies network analysis to examine structural characteristics and evolutionary patterns, while drawing on historical and geographical contexts to discuss the canal’s potential role in regional urban-system change. The results show that (1) the overall network remained long-term concentrated along the canal trunk, and exhibited a west-to-east shift; (2) the urban clusters in the canal’s middle reaches remained the principal connectivity hubs, radiating influence to other clusters; (3) brokerage roles in the northern canal section were increasingly shared by trunk and branch nodes, while trunk-core nodes in the middle and southern sections maintained multiple roles. This study supports re-establishing the contemporary value of historical cultural routes and advancing the integration of regional cultural heritage resources.