Urban Land Development Research Articles

Protection of customary land rights: Meta-Analysis and Regulatory Impact Assessment in Indonesia's New Capital

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of existing protection measures in safeguarding indigenous land rights in Sepaku and Samboja, East Kalimantan, within the context of the capital city of Indonesia. This study employs a comprehensive methodology, including a literature review, legal analysis, and field investigations. It examines the legal framework, institutional coordination, and impact of land use policies on indigenous communities. The data were collected via interviews and document analysis. This study reveals a pressing need to strengthen regulatory design and law enforcement to protect indigenous land tenure rights. This text highlights the challenges faced by indigenous peoples due to deforestation, land disputes, and the transformation of land for urban development. The research underscores the necessity of improved cross-sectoral authority and coordination within the Ministry of Environment and Forestry. This study provides valuable insights into the complex issues surrounding land tenure rights and indigenous communities in the context of the capital city of Nusantara. The text contributes to the ongoing discourse on environmental protection, indigenous rights, and the sustainability of land use policies in Indonesia. The findings provide practical recommendations for enhancing legal protection and mitigating deforestation in high-demand land areas, ultimately benefiting both the environment and local communities.

Carbon Neutrality Benefit by Developing Underground Space and Overlying Green Land: Calculation Methodology and Case Study

The advancement of ecological civilization has heightened the urgency for urban emission reductions. Currently, there is a significant gap in the quantitative assessment of the carbon neutrality benefit of developing underground space and overlaying urban green land. To address this, this study presents a carbon neutrality benefit assessment model based on building lifecycle theory. The model quantifies the carbon emissions of typical public buildings utilizing aboveground/underground space and assesses the carbon sink impacts of green lands. Notably, it introduces the innovative parameter of characteristic time to evaluate how the comprehensive development of underground space and aboveground urban green land contributes to achieving carbon neutrality. Case analysis of a typical shopping mall in northern China revealed that, in comparison to aboveground buildings, underground buildings exhibit higher energy consumption for construction and lighting; however, they demonstrate superior thermal performance, providing warmth in winter and coolness in summer. Furthermore, urban green spaces of equivalent building area can sequester a portion of the carbon emissions produced by underground buildings, resulting in a lower overall carbon emission profile for the underground space system throughout its lifecycle compared to that of the aboveground space system. Consequently, the development of underground spaces plays a crucial role in advancing carbon neutral objectives. The study also emphasizes the importance of selecting plant communities with enhanced carbon sequestration capacities and developing corresponding green spaces to better meet carbon neutrality objectives. This research offers a novel perspective for evaluating the carbon neutrality benefits of underground space systems, providing valuable design guidance for integrating urban underground and aboveground spaces.

Urban morphology and urban water demand: a case study in the land constrained Los Angeles region using urban growth modeling

Abstract The interactions between population growth, urban morphology, and water demand have important implications for water resources and supply in urban regions. Water use for irrigation comprises a significant fraction of urban water demand, and is potentially influenced by long-term changes in urban morphology. To investigate this, we used spatially explicit projections of urban land development intensity (fraction impervious area) generated from a 30 m resolution urban growth model for the Los Angeles (LA) region. Recent historical data on water use and high resolution landcover were used to establish relationships between green area, urban development intensity, and outdoor water demand. These relationships were then used to project outdoor and total water demand in 2100 using the urban growth model outputs. We considered two different population scenarios informed by the shared socioeconomic pathway (SSP) projections for the region (SSP3 and SSP5), and three scenarios of urban development intensification. Our analysis is resolved for over 80 water providers in the region, from the urban core to suburban fringe, and highlights diverse demand responses influenced by initial urban form and water demand attributes. Assumptions about outdoor water use factors based on recent water supply data were found to be nearly as influential on future outdoor demand as the urban growth scenario settings. Compared to previous studies, our work is unique in coherently linking high resolution SSP population scenarios, urban land cover evolution, and urban water demand projections, demonstrating the approach for the LA region—the largest population center in the western United States.

Impact of climatic elements on the political and social development of Ilam city: a logistics perspective

Climate factors in different climate change scenarios can influence social and political development in an area. This study explores the role of climatic factors in shaping the political and social landscape of Ilam, a city experiencing rapid urbanization due to population growth, increased demand for housing and commercial space, and the need for urban services. Through a descriptive-analytical approach and field data collection, the research surveyed 58 urban managers, researchers, and specialists in Ilam, using the SWOT technique to analyze the city's climatic strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in the context of political and social development. The results indicate that climate parameters play a significant role in Ilam's development, with the city's ability to align urban land development with soil temperature as a key strength. However, challenges exist in the technical sector, while opportunities lie in human resources and the integration of clean technologies. Environmental concerns, such as the degradation of agricultural land due to urban expansion, pose a threat to Ilam's development. The study confirms the impact of temperature and precipitation on Ilam's political and social development, emphasizing the interconnectedness between climate factors and the city's political and social dynamics. This research provides valuable insights into the complexities of urban development in Ilam, highlighting the importance of addressing the relationship between climate and political and social factors in this context.

Urban transformation through transit: the case of Delhi metro

Urbanization in developing countries is rapidly increasing, with populations projected to reach 5.5 billion by 2050. This growth presents challenges, such as land resource pressure, environmental degradation, unsustainable transportation, and disorderly urban land development. Transit-oriented development (TOD) and sustainable urban transit systems such as the Delhi Metro are crucial for addressing urban design, economic competitiveness, and quality of life by improving accessibility and reducing private vehicle reliance. This study investigated changes in land use and land cover (LULC) in buffer zones around the Delhi Metro lines using satellite imagery from 1997, 2006, 2011, and 2019. The findings revealed significant shifts from open land and vegetation to built-up areas, driven by increased real estate activity and property values near metro stations. This study highlights the importance of integrating transportation infrastructure with urban planning for sustainable development, utilizing green infrastructure to mitigate environmental impacts, and implementing water-sensitive urban designs and TOD strategies to improve resilience.

Financing urban land development in underdeveloped small cities in western China: The role of earmarked funds

Previous studies suggest that market forces and the strategic behavior of local governments regarding land development jointly contribute to rapid urban expansion in China. In underdeveloped small cities in Western China, the market is weak, and local governments lack the conditions required to promote land-centered urbanization. Surprisingly, these cities have experienced an expansion of urban space faster than the national average. This study presents a significant funding model of urban land development within the framework of the project system. Within this model, central and provincial governments are key providers of land development funds. Local governments design, apply for, package, and implement land development projects. Private developers cooperate with local governments rather than functioning as real initiators of and investors in land development projects. The findings provide new and supplementary evidence about how rapid urban expansion occurs in China, particularly in underdeveloped areas.

What Makes Local Planning Effective in a Megacity? The Overlapping Agendas and Scale Inconsistencies in Developing Buenos Aires’ Affordable Land Markets

In limited-resourced Latin-American cities, adapting urban regulations and capturing value offers great potential for developing affordable land. We explored what counts for the significant variance in local land management implementation within Buenos Aires Metropolitan Region. Analysed municipalities successfully developed high-quality instruments to expand affordable land markets. However, local planning effectiveness does not find limits in the quality of planning itself. Depending on the municipalities’ relative location within the metro area, the national-level pipeline infrastructure plans, the politically driven finance choices, and divergent administration protocols favour or hinder the capacity to implement an effective urban land development strategy at local levels.

Evaluating inequality divides in urban development intensity between the Global North and South

As the significance of cities worldwide with regard to human activities increases, Urban Development Intensity (UDI) becomes an increasingly critical factor for achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 11.3 and serves as a scientific foundation for establishing urban land development guidelines. However, the existing literature lacks systematic quantification of fine-scale UDI on the global scale. In this study, we propose a comprehensive framework for evaluating UDI globally, utilizing multi-source surveys to compare spatial variations between the Global North and South. We created structured grided UDI layers at a 1-km resolution covering urban areas worldwide, considering various aspects of urban development on land surface characterized by three-dimensional (3D) building metrics, population density, nighttime lights, and transport constructions. By employing composite models and the inequality index, we assessed UDI disparities across 6986 cities and metropolitan areas globally to investigate variations in UDI levels and heterogeneity among the Global North–South regions, inter-city, and intra-city contexts. Furthermore, the bivariate local Moran’s I statistic and k-medoid algorithm were utilized to identify spatial and pattern clusters of UDI among global cities. Our findings revealed diverse spatial distribution of multi-source UDI differences globally, with urban areas in the Global North generally exhibiting higher and more equitable intensity than that exhibited by urban areas in the Global South, where the intensity tends to be lower at the urban peripheries and highly concentrated in city centers. Recognizing the disparities and clustering patterns of UDI levels of global cities underscore the importance of promoting urban equalization to ensure containment and drive improvement in UDI towards diverse models under local urban circumstances for effective implementation of sustainable urbanization development across cities both in the Global North and South.

Impediments to urban land development and transformation in Tanzania: evaluating conventional approaches and proposing innovative solutions

Urban land development involves converting rural land into urban land suitable for various purposes such as residential, commercial, industrial, mixed-use development, and infrastructure services. The urban land development in Tanzanian cities faces numerous challenges rooted in colonial-era practices and the coexistence of customary and formal land ownership systems. This study thoroughly examines the limitations of conventional land development approaches and their impacts on spatial planning. This study compares traditional land acquisition and development with innovative, self-financing, cost-effective strategies. The study deployed a mixed methodology comprising questionnaire surveys and interviews to address specific objectives for improving urban land development practices. The findings highlight the potential of innovative strategies in catalysing urban development and spatial planning, offering a promising path forward. It emphasises the need to integrate diverse approaches to address infrastructure challenges, enhance spatial planning, and protect the interests of affected communities, thereby fostering a more sustainable and equitable urban landscape.

Monocentricity or polycentricity? The study on the enterprise environmental performance of urban spatial structure

Under the promotion of urban planning and land development policies, the urban spatial structure of China is undergoing a transformation towards polycentricity. The improvement of environmental performance during the process of urban spatial transformation is crucial for urban sustainable development. This paper uses high-resolution population grid data from LandScan for the years 2001–2019 to measure the urban spatial structure of Chinese cities. Then we match the Chinese Industrial Enterprise Database with the Chinese Industrial Enterprise Pollution Emission Database for the years 2001–2014. This paper empirically examines the impact and mechanisms of the polycentric spatial structure of Chinese cities on enterprise pollution reduction at the micro-level. The findings indicate that compared to monocentricity, polycentricity is more conducive to improving enterprise environmental performance. Mechanism tests demonstrate that the improvement in enterprise environmental performance resulting from polycentricity can be achieved through three channels: increasing urban population and density, mitigating urban environmental pollution, and promoting enterprise innovation ability. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that polycentricity is more beneficial for emission reduction among small enterprises, young enterprises and enterprises in regions with higher environmental regulations. This paper provides micro-level evidence and policy implications for further strengthening the aggregation effect of polycentricity and improving enterprise environmental performance in the future.

Mapping the unseen: Dissecting property crime dynamics in urban Malaysia through spatial analysis

AbstractExtensive research over the years has illuminated how urban land use and development intricately influence property crime dynamics. Yet, there remains a notable paucity of simultaneous explorations of spatial–temporal patterns and their correlation with urban geography. This study aims to bridge this gap by employing advanced spatial analytical techniques, providing a nuanced understanding of how property crime is distributed and how it evolves within the urban fabric of Malaysia. This research rigorously investigates the spatial–temporal patterns of property crime within the urban context of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor in Malaysia, utilizing a novel combination of mean center and standard deviational ellipse methodologies. Concentrating on the regions of Selangor, the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, and the Federal Territory of Putrajaya, the study meticulously analyzes property crime data spanning from 2015 to 2020. This analysis uncovers pivotal insights into the distribution and trends of criminal activities. The integration of these spatial analytical techniques not only facilitates the identification of prevalent hotspots and directional tendencies in property crimes but also probes into their association with urban land use and developmental patterns. The outcomes of this study shed light on the intricate interplay between the incidence of crime and urban spatial configurations, thereby yielding significant theoretical and practical ramifications. The research makes a substantial contribution to the disciplines of criminological geography and urban planning, underscoring the indispensable role of advanced spatial analysis in devising robust crime prevention mechanisms and bolstering the safety of urban environments.

A multiscale analysis of the relationship between urbanization and CO2 emissions using geo-weighted regression model

It is of great practical significance to explore the relationship between urbanization and CO2 emissions for the low-carbon development of cities. However, the multiscale assessment of spatial relationship between population, land and economic urbanization and CO2 emissions is lacked. In this study, we first adopted the spatial statistical methods to evaluate the spatial pattern of China’s CO2 emissions in 2019. Then, we spatially quantified China’s urbanization of land, population and economy based on statistical data. Finally, we used the geo-weighted regression model to explore the spatial relationship between urbanization and CO2 emissions at the national-economic zone-province scale. The results displayed that there is obvious spatial heterogeneity in the relationship between China’s urbanization and CO2 emissions. The significant positive correlation between urbanization and CO2 emissions were mainly located in the northeastern, eastern and southwestern regions, consistent with the characteristics of the Heihe–Tengchong Line. The uneven development of land, population and economic urbanization would lead to more CO2 emissions. We suggest that China should attend the balanced development of urban land, population and economy, and avoid the additional carbon emissions caused by incongruence, to further the development of low-carbon cities.

Evolution characteristics and multi-scenario prediction of habitat quality in Yulin City based on PLUS and InVEST models

As a major energy city in China, Yulin City has faced huge challenges to the ecological environment with its rapid economic development and rapid urbanization. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the impact of land use changes on habitat quality. Based on three periods of land use data in Yulin City in 1995, 2005 and 2015, the PLUS model was used to simulate the land use changes in 2015. The measured kappa coefficient was 0.8859, which met the simulation accuracy requirements. By setting development zone boundaries and adjusting parameters, three progressive scenarios are designed to predict the spatial distribution of land use in Yulin City in 2035. The InVEST model was used to analyze the spatiotemporal evolution of Yulin City’s habitat quality in the past 20 years and evaluate the distribution of Yulin City’s habitat quality under three scenarios after 20 years. The results are as follows: (1) During the study period, construction land in Yulin City expanded rapidly, with an area increase of 380.87 km2 in 20 years, and ecological land gradually shrank. (2) The land use simulation results of Yulin City under various scenarios in 2035 show that future land use changes in Yulin City will mainly be concentrated in the central and western regions. (3) During the study period, the habitat quality of Yulin City was at a medium level and the overall habitat quality showed a downward trend. Spatially, the degree of habitat quality degradation in Yulin City showed a characteristic of gradually decreasing from West to East. (4) By 2035, under the scenario of suitable urban economic development, Yulin City’s habitat quality has been improved to a certain extent, which not only protects ecological security but also meets the demand for construction land for urban development. The results of this study help the government better understand the evolution of land use and habitat quality in Yulin City in the past 20 years, and provide theoretical support and reference for the formulation of Yulin City’s ecological environment protection policies and the implementation of ecological protection work under the current land spatial planning.

Investigating the mechanisms of sustainable urban land renewal: A perspective of spatial development rights

Urban renewal, as an important means of promoting sustainable urbanization in the stock era, is essentially a process of redistributing land appreciation benefits caused by spatial development rights. However, current literature mostly analyzes the traditional two-dimensional renewal model from the perspective of market mechanisms, which leads to the inability of urban land renewal mechanisms to adapt to sustainable urban development. Therefore, taking Shenzhen as an example, our study aims to understand the spatial mechanism of urban land renewal from a three-dimensional perspective of spatial development rights. Using geographically weighted regression and two-stage least squares regression, we found that the objective of value analysis has shifted from the common minimum unit of land to local space. Moreover, affected by the surrounding environment and various supporting public service facilities, the existence of spatial heterogeneity leads to significant differences in the value of the different functional space within same geographical ranges. The influence intensity of economy, society, and environment shows a decreasing pattern in space from the center of the region to the outer circle of the region. We not only construct a sustainable urban land renewal framework based on three-dimensional spatial property rights, but also distinguish the mechanisms and endogenous issues for different functional spaces. Our study could make a great difference in adjustment of urban land development rights and value acquisition.

Exploring Spatial-Temporal Coupling and Its Driving Factors of Green and Low-Carbon Urban Land Use Efficiency and High-Quality Economic Development in China

Green and low-carbon use of urban land (GLUUL) and high-quality economic development (HED) are two closely linked and mutually reinforcing systems, and their coordinated development is of great theoretical and practical significance to the realization of green and sustainable urban development. Based on theoretical analysis, this paper used data from 2005 to 2020 to measure GLUUL efficiency and HED level and their coupling coordination degree (CCD) successively of 282 cities in China, and then analyzed in-depth the main factors affecting CCD and its spatial–temporal heterogeneity using the GTWR model. This study found that (1) GLUUL efficiency and HED levels are increasing with different trends, and the development is unbalanced. High-value cities in the two systems show a staggered distribution pattern. (2) The CCD of the two was dominated by primary and intermediate coordination types, and the overall became increasingly coordinated, with the “intermediate coordination—advanced development” type having the highest representation. (3) There is a gradual convergence of CCD spatial differences, showing an overall spatial distribution pattern that is “high in the northwest and southeast, low in the central area”. (4) The influence degree and direction of different factors on CCD are distinguishing. The positive impact of industrial structure upgrading (Isu) is obviously greater than other factors, which has the strongest effect on the industrial corridor along the Yangtze River and the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region. The findings can offer insightful recommendations for promoting sustainable development in China and similar developing countries and regions.

Land Use Sustainability: Assessment of the Dynamic Response of Typical Bedrock-Buried-Hill Earth Fissure Sites in the Su-Xi-Chang Area

Disaster prevention and the mitigation of earth fissures is a key issue in the sustainable development of urban land. Structures directly avoiding earth fissures are not conducive to the rational planning and efficient utilization of urban construction. The Su-Xi-Chang area, which consists of the cities of Suzhou, Wuxi, and Changzhou, surrounded by Taihu Lake, has developed bedrock buried-hill earth fissures that are rare in the rest of the country. Existing research results have identified the genesis mechanisms, distribution patterns, and developmental characteristics of this type of fissure. Not only does the slow-variable activity of earth fissures cause direct damage to surface and underground structures, but in addition, when an earthquake occurs, the presence of earth fissures may cause the seismic response of the site to be altered or even strengthened, leading to unknown damage or the possible destruction of structures near the fissures. However, no studies have been conducted to assess the dynamic effects of bedrock-buried-hill earth fissure sites. Therefore, in this research, based on six typical bedrock-buried-hill-type earth fissures in the Su-Xi-Chang area, and in order to accurately reveal the dynamic amplification effect law of the earth fissure sites, systematic spectral analyses and comparisons of the microtremor signals were carried out by using the linear analysis method (Direct Fourier Transform Analysis) and the nonlinear analysis method (Hilbert–Huang Transform). The results show that bedrock-buried-hill-type earth fissures have a significant amplification effect on the dynamic response of the site; the amplification effect of bedrock-buried-hill fissure sites follows the same attenuation pattern, and the furthest range of the dynamic response on the site is about 25 m, beyond which the original seismic fortification level can be maintained; the extreme value of the amplification factor of the two sides of this type of site, as derived from the Fourier and HHT methods, is about double, and the nearest earth fissure region should be considered to have a raised seismic fortification intensity of more than double the original. The Hilbert–Huang transform method has good applicability for processing microtremor data, and nonlinear signal analysis methods can be considered comprehensive for future microtremor signal processing.

Divergent urban land trajectories under alternative population projections within the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways

Population change is a main driver behind global environmental change, including urban land expansion. In future scenario modeling, assumptions regarding how populations will change locally, despite identical global constraints of Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs), can have dramatic effects on subsequent regional urbanization. Using a spatial modeling experiment at high resolution (1 km), this study compared how two alternative US population projections, varying in the spatially explicit nature of demographic patterns and migration, affect urban land dynamics simulated by the Spatially Explicit, Long-term, Empirical City development (SELECT) model for SSP2, SSP3, and SSP5. The population projections included: (1) newer downscaled state-specific population (SP) projections inclusive of updated international and domestic migration estimates, and (2) prevailing downscaled national-level projections (NP) agnostic to localized demographic processes. Our work shows that alternative population inputs, even those under the same SSP, can lead to dramatic and complex differences in urban land outcomes. Under the SP projection, urbanization displays more of an extensification pattern compared to the NP projection. This suggests that recent demographic information supports more extreme urban extensification and land pressures on existing rural areas in the US than previously anticipated. Urban land outcomes to population inputs were spatially variable where areas in close spatial proximity showed divergent patterns, reflective of the spatially complex urbanization processes that can be accommodated in SELECT. Although different population projections and assumptions led to divergent outcomes, urban land development is not a linear product of population change but the result of complex relationships between population, dynamic urbanization processes, stages of urban development maturity, and feedback mechanisms. These findings highlight the importance of accounting for spatial variations in the population projections, but also urbanization process to accurately project long-term urban land patterns.

The Spatial–Temporal Characteristics of Land De-Urbanization in Metropolises: A Case Study of the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area

With a series of redevelopment activities, such as land consolidation and urban renewal, many cities in China have experienced land de-urbanization phenomena. These include the conversion of construction land into green spaces (such as parks, forests, and lawns), blue spaces (such as rivers, lakes, and wetlands), and farmland. However, there is currently limited research on diverse land de-urbanization types and pathways. This study focuses on investigating the land de-urbanization in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) from 2014 to September 2023 using the Continuous Change Detection and Classification (CCDC) method. The results demonstrate that the GBA experienced 72.74 square kilometers of de-urbanization during the study period, primarily through the conversion of construction land to land with low plant coverage, including grassland and farmland. There were significant differences in the quantity and spatial agglomeration of de-urbanization between cities and within individual cities. Temporally, de-urbanization predominantly occurred in the period of 2016 to 2021, with a sharp decline in 2022. The temporal changes were significantly influenced by urban renewal policies and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In terms of spatial clustering characteristics, the de-urbanization process in the GBA exhibited spatial agglomeration but was primarily characterized by low-level clustering. This study also examines the correlations between de-urbanization and factors including location and the stage of urbanization. The analysis showed that de-urbanization within cities tended to concentrate near the main urban roads within a range of 10–30 km from city centers. The trend of de-urbanization followed a pattern that is consistent with the Northam curve, where de-urbanization tends to increase during the rapid urbanization phase and decline as urbanization reaches a mature stage. Overall, this study provides valuable insights for the redevelopment of construction land within the context of ecological civilization construction. It also offers suggestions for urban land development and redevelopment in metropolitan areas.

Impact of urban land development on carbon emission performance based on a multidimensional framework

Massive carbon emissions resulting from global urbanization have been one of the main triggers of climate warming. Because of its scale and representativeness, China's urbanization has significantly affected the world's socioeconomic system. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the urban land development (ULD) process and its impact on carbon emission performance (CEP), using cities in China as an example, is crucial for achieving global climate goals. Thus, using 245 cities in China as examples, a new explanatory framework was developed to understand the multidimensional characteristics of ULD and their impact on CEP. The average ULD increased from 0.266 to 0.299 and stabilized from 2000 to 2019, with the gap between cities continuously narrowing. Average CEP increased from 0.634 to 0.663 and then decreased to 0.556, presenting an increasing distribution pattern from northwest to southeast. The coupling level between ULD and CEP decreased from the east coast inland. More than half of the cities retained their coupling levels, and 3.67% achieved leapfrog development. The higher the initial CEP level, the weaker the positive effect of an increase in ULD level on the coupling score. In addition, the influences of the multidimensional characteristics of ULD on CEP showed significant spatiotemporal heterogeneity at the country scale. Thus, this study proposes that the effect of the ULD on CEP is phased, which is highly correlated with the evolution of the coupling level. These findings highlight the necessity for city managers to incorporate the differential impacts of the multidimensional characteristics of ULD on CEP in the formulation of carbon emission reduction policies.

Changes in Streamflow Statistics and Catchment Land Uses Across Select USGS Gages in Northwest and West‐central Arkansas

AbstractSince 1901, heavy rainfall events have increased in the United States in both intensity and frequency, and human population in the United States has increased, resulting in significant land use changes. Both trends contribute to an increase in observed flood magnitude and frequency. To determine if a relationship exists between land use/land cover and changing stream flows in northwest Arkansas, this study analyzed temporal changes in various flow statistics for 14 stream gages and compared the rates of change in flow statistics from gages on streams with watersheds that have varying land uses, i.e., urban, agricultural, and undeveloped. Mann‐Kendall analysis was used to determine statistically significant changes in flow statistics, which were then compared to National Land Cover Dataset (NLCD) watershed land uses from 2001 and 2019. All analyzed gages had one or more flow statistics with at least a moderately significant increase, and all analyzed flow statistics showed at least moderately significant streamflow increases at two or more gages (P < 0.100). There were no decreases of any significance in any flow statistic at any gage. In general, urban land development did not happen on native prairies and forests but on previously agricultural land. Significant positive relationships were found between maximum yearly flow and 2019 urban land use, urban land use change from 2001 to 2019, and 2019 Human Development Index (HDI). A similar relationship was found to exist between yearly minimum flow and 2019 HDI. These results highlight the importance of considering the cost of potential stream bank erosion and flooding in future land use planning, permitting, and zoning.