With China's urban development transitioning from incremental expansion to a phase characterized by stock renewal and quality improvement, the principle of "cities should be built by the people and for the people" has become a fundamental guiding principle for contemporary urban governance and spatial production. Within this context, the concept of People's Garden has emerged as a critical response from the discipline of landscape architecture to the demands of people-centered urban transformation. By shifting the focus from elite-oriented landscape production toward everyday spaces shaped, used, and maintained by ordinary citizens, People's Garden reorients landscape practice toward livelihood needs, social participation, and grassroots governance. This paper systematically traces the ideological origins and practical evolution of People's Garden, situating it within both Chinese and international traditions of public space creation and civic participation. In the Chinese context, its roots can be found in vernacular practices of spontaneous spatial construction and the longstanding cultural notion of "sharing landscapes with the people", evident in early public garden traditions and informal, community-based landscape making. In Western contexts, comparable traditions include ancient public groves, the rise of urban parks during industrialization, and later bottom-up movements such as community gardens and civic environmental activism. Together, these diverse historical trajectories reveal a shared pursuit of publicness, participation, and collective stewardship of everyday landscapes. Building on this historical review, the study further examines the transition of landscape architecture from elite and symbolic garden forms to modern public parks, and ultimately toward contemporary participatory landscapes. While modern public parks marked an important step toward openness and accessibility, they largely remained products of top-down planning processes in which citizens were passive users rather than active creators. People's Garden, formally articulated in China in 2024, represents a qualitative shift beyond these earlier models. It integrates the principles of the People-Centered City with current social conditions of urban regeneration, emphasizing residents' subjectivity, multi-actor collaboration, and the embedding of landscape practices within daily life. From a theoretical perspective, the paper constructs an analytical framework for People's Garden by drawing on landscape architecture theory, sociology, and anthropology. Concepts such as People-oriented, the Public Sphere, Social Capital, Daily Life, and Place-making provide intellectual support for understanding how People's Garden functions not merely as a spatial form, but as a social process. Empirically, the study reviews 26 representative cases from China and abroad, covering a wide range of scales and contexts, including national parks, urban parks, community gardens, and micro-regeneration projects. Based on the leading actors and participation mechanisms involved, these cases are classified into three main practice models: government-led initiatives, multi-stakeholder co-governance practices, and resident-initiated self-organized actions. To support comparative analysis, a three-dimensional evaluative framework is developed, focusing on government support, citizen participation, and collaborative networks. This framework helps reveal the gradual shift from state-dominated provision toward deeper forms of civic engagement and self-governance. Drawing on the comparative analysis of these cases, the paper synthesizes a practical pathway for People's Landscape structured around the integrated principles of co-construction, co-governance, and sharing. Co-construction emphasizes the establishment of collaborative platforms that integrate governmental guidance, professional expertise, social organizations, market resources, and residents' local knowledge. Co-governance focuses on institutionalizing participatory mechanisms throughout the entire life cycle of landscape projects, from planning and construction to long-term management, thereby ensuring sustainability and collective responsibility. Sharing highlights the equitable distribution of ecological, social, and cultural benefits, transforming landscape outcomes into tangible improvements in everyday life, community cohesion, and environmental well-being. In conclusion, People's Garden represents a fundamental reorientation of landscape architecture in contemporary China - from the creation of designed objects toward the cultivation of people-centered processes of spatial governance. By embedding landscape practices within everyday life and empowering citizens as co-creators and co-managers, People's Garden contributes to the enhancement of urban environmental quality, the strengthening of social capital, and the advancement of grassroots governance. Although the concept is still in an exploratory stage and faces challenges related to classification, scalability, and long-term institutional support, it offers significant potential for supporting high-quality urban development and improved quality of life under the framework of Chinese modernization. As such, People's Garden provides both theoretical insights and practical guidance for realizing the vision of the People-Centered City and advancing sustainable urban futures.

As China's urban development gradually shifts from scale expansion to the stage of optimizing and renewing the existing stock, the core goal of urban greening construction has changed from merely increasing the area of green space to enhancing the quality of space and the efficiency of public services. This transformation has made strengthening the public participation mechanism an urgent need for current urban greening work. Against this backdrop, the urban public green space construction model with the core concept of "People's Garden" has emerged. It emphasizes a green governance path oriented towards residents' demands and jointly built by multiple subjects, becoming an important exploration direction to solve the problem of the disconnection between traditional green space construction and public demands. However, at present, the practice of public participation in the construction of urban green Spaces in our country still faces many challenges - there are operational difficulties such as the lack of standardized guidelines for the participation process and the unsmooth feedback channels for residents' demands, as well as institutional shortcomings such as the ambiguous definition of the rights and responsibilities of the participating subjects in policies and regulations and the insufficiency of incentive mechanisms. The overall implementation path has not yet formed a clear framework. The relevant supporting institutional system is in urgent need of systematic improvement. As a typical example of public-participatory green space construction on a global scale, Setagaya Ward in Tokyo, Japan, has been focusing on the needs of urban refined management since the 1990s. Through a combination of policy guidance, mechanism innovation, and community mobilization, it has systematically promoted the institutionalization and systematization of the entire construction process. After more than three decades of practical exploration, A public-participatory green space construction model that is both operational and has demonstration value has been formed. This study conducts in-depth exploration around three core dimensions: First, it systematically sorts out the development trajectory of public participation in green space construction in Japan, from the rise of civic movements to the transformation of community building after the bubble economy, clarifying the changes in policy-driven and social demands at different stages; Secondly, taking Setanagaya District as the empirical research object, through literature analysis and field investigation, the organizational structure of its public participation in green space construction is analyzed in detail, and the policy framework including the detailed implementation rules of the "Urban Park Law", district-level special regulations, and the community building subsidy system is systematically sorted out. And summarize its supporting system in terms of fundraising, technical guidance, publicity and promotion, etc. Thirdly, for the key hub organization, Setagaya Trust & Community Design, core members were selected to conduct semi-structured in-depth interviews. A comprehensive assessment and reflection were carried out on its green space construction practices from dimensions such as practical effectiveness, existing challenges, and sustainability. Summarize successful experiences and room for improvement. Based on the above research, this paper ultimately returns to the reflection on the construction of "People's Gardens" in our country. In light of local realities, it puts forward targeted suggestions from three aspects: policy improvement, organizational optimization, and action innovation. At the policy level, it is necessary to accelerate special legislation to clarify the rights and responsibilities of participants. At the organizational level, a cross-departmental collaborative platform should be established to promote resource integration. At the action level, it is necessary to stimulate residents' continuous participation motivation through capacity building and cultural cultivation, thereby providing practical references for the construction of public-participatory green Spaces in the context of urban stock renewal in China.

Drawing on phenomenological theory and concrete cases of socially engaged design, this article seeks to describe an action script termed "Leveraging (Qiaodong)", offering a theoretical perspective for attending to and understanding seemingly localized and small-scale social actions that nonetheless have the potential to generate ongoing change, such as beginning to cultivate a garden on an unused plot of land. Such actions do not usually originate from clearly defined, comprehensive plans. Instead, they emerge in situations where people confront limited conditions, insufficient resources, or complex social problems that cannot be directly resolved. Rather than aiming to "solve" problems, actors initiate actions that are immediately doable and capable of being taken up in the present, gradually reopening possibilities for further action. In the process of continuing to do things, actors often develop a sense of guidance or handiness, which is a feeling of "there are more things to do". This sense does not arise from certainty about outcomes, but from a directional momentum that takes shape through action itself. It helps reorganize attention toward one's surroundings and toward others, sustaining engagement amid uncertainty. Through such processes, localized actions may become noticeable to others, invite participation, and elicit responses, thereby gradually stimulating broader forms of public collaboration and the emergence of public life. The central question of this article is how such seemingly minor, low-threshold actions accumulate social effects over time, reorganize attention, and respond to long-standing social problems that are structurally complex and resistant to direct solutions. Theoretically, this article situates itself within contemporary discussions of co-design, while entering into dialogue with phenomenological traditions associated with Heidegger, Ingold, and Gibson. The discussion is grounded in a series of concrete cases observed or participated in by the author between 2022 and 2024, including socially engaged design initiatives such as community gardening, publicly engaged art projects, and design workshops. The articulation of leveraging as an action script is not intended to introduce a new method for participatory design. Rather, it aims to provide conceptual language for an action mode that is already widely present in everyday life and professional practice, yet often remains under-theorized. By foregrounding leveraging, the article seeks to support readers in becoming more attentive to how one action gives rise to another, and how action unfolds through mutual responsiveness within concrete situations. To elaborate on this script, the article addresses three interrelated questions. The first two concern epistemology: how can we narrate change as it unfolds through action without reducing it to linear causality, and how can small-scale actions in everyday life be taken seriously as forms of design practice? The third question concerns the ethics of action: when social problems cannot be directly solved, should the responsibility of design still be framed in terms of problem-solving, or should it instead be understood as a sustained capacity to respond to concrete lived situations?

In recent decades, contemporary urban renewal has gradually moved away from the conventional paradigm of large-scale demolition and reconstruction and has entered a phase characterized by incremental development and fine-grained spatial intervention. As the basic spatial and social unit of the city, the community plays a critical role in supporting refined urban development, maintaining social cohesion, and safeguarding residents' everyday well-being. In parallel with this shift, the governance model of co-construction, co-governance, and co-sharing, which emphasizes the integration of diverse social resources and the active involvement of residents, has become a widely adopted approach in both policy discourse and practical implementation. Although a wide range of flexible and participatory community renewal initiatives have been launched in recent years, many of these projects encounter difficulties in sustaining spatial quality and social vitality over time, often due to limited maintenance capacity and the absence of long-term operational mechanisms. In response to these challenges, this study conducted a community garden co-creation experiment at the Neighborly Gate Garden in Shanghai, using it as an empirical case to explore whether micro-renewal practices guided by participatory principles and a sustainability-oriented framework can effectively support the long-term operation and stewardship of community spaces. Grounded in sustainability theory, the research established a four-dimensional analytical framework encompassing ecological sustainability, cultural-spiritual sustainability, economic sustainability, and social sustainability. This framework was employed to structure both the design of the experiment and the subsequent evaluation of its outcomes. Methodologically, the study adopted a mixed research approach that combined interdisciplinary analysis with participatory observation, enabling a systematic documentation of the planning process, implementation stages, and post-intervention conditions of the community garden. The findings indicate that public participation informed by sustainability principles can significantly enhance residents' willingness to engage in community affairs, reduce the financial burden on local governments, and improve short-term site maintenance outcomes. However, the study also reveals that the capacity of self-organized groups to independently sustain long-term maintenance remains limited. Longitudinal observations suggest that enduring stewardship of community micro-spaces still depends on continuous policy support, institutional guidance, and stable resource input from the top down. The experiment further reveals that participants of different ages and identities demonstrated distinct levels of engagement at various stages; public activities with artistic or general attributes were more effective in stimulating participation among residents and children than those requiring specialized expertise; and a degree of positive correlation emerged between the condition of site maintenance and residents' digital engagement in community platforms. Based on the empirical observations and the organizational experience accumulated during the experiment, the study proposes a set of strategies with potential transferability and replicability. These include ecological sustainability strategies focused on strengthening residents' ecological knowledge, establishing designated points for sustainable material sorting, and recommending appropriate sustainable materials; cultural-spiritual strategies that clarify organizational pathways across different participation stages and foster a shared sense of belonging among diverse groups; economic sustainability strategies that emphasize multi-actor governance, cost optimization, and the diversification of community-based economic activities; and social sustainability strategies that integrate top-down policy support, bottom-up self-organization, and the cultivation of responsible teams and community compacts. Through the design of this co-creation experiment and the articulation of strategies within a four-dimensional sustainability framework, this study aims to enhance the artistic, public, and sustainable qualities of community micro-spaces and to provide practical insights for future research and community renewal practice.

Under the "dual carbon" goals, urban parks, as important green infrastructure, play an increasingly prominent role in addressing climate change through their carbon sequestration functions. Research has shown that plants in green spaces can absorb a portion of carbon emissions in urban areas, achieving carbon neutrality when the carbon sequestration capacity of plants offsets the carbon emissions. However, the timing of when park green spaces can achieve carbon neutrality has been rarely studied, and existing research faces limitations in guiding engineering practices. Despite numerous scholars calculating annual carbon sequestration rates, the growth rate of trees is not linearly increasing, and current studies often overlook the massive embedded carbon emissions from park buildings despite their small footprint, leading to incomplete assessments. This study aims to develop a carbon neutrality timing prediction model based on the bill of quantities. To ensure the model's applicability across different climate zones, we collected engineering quantity lists and design drawings from 20 park projects in eastern and southern China, extracting seedling specifications, quantities, and building material data. We calculated the carbon sequestration increment of each tree within a specified period based on the diameter at breast height (DBH) - biomass allometric growth equation, and established a fitting equation with the increment of DBH (ΔDBH). The model utilizes the Chapman-Richards growth equation to simulate the non-linear growth process of trees, accounting for the fact that tree growth rates decrease with age rather than maintaining linear progression. Subsequently, by setting the carbon emissions from buildings in the park as the target, we used the fitting equation to solve for the remaining ΔDBH and infer the duration of tree growth required to achieve carbon neutrality, thereby predicting the timing of carbon neutrality. The specifications of trees and buildings in two virtual parks (A and B) are based on project data from parks in eastern and southern China and are applied in the validation of the prediction model. After data standardization, Parks A and B showed carbon sequestration capacities of 2,371.65 and 2,156.29 t, respectively, while their building carbon emissions reached 6,485.64 and 6,198.42 t, respectively. Current carbon sequestration only offsets approximately 35% of building carbon emissions in both parks. The results indicate that the predicted dates for both parks to achieve carbon neutrality (October 2038 and April 2035) are significantly later than the dates predicted directly based on linear carbon sequestration rates (April 2032 and May 2030), with error margins of 56.7% and 57.7%, respectively. Park A requires an additional 9.8 cm DBH growth per tree, while Park B needs 8.9 cm growth per tree. Economic analysis revealed that the total construction costs (seedlings + building materials) were 15.84 million and 20.26 million yuan for Parks A and B, respectively, with current ecological economic benefits of 3.46 million and 3.15 million yuan, indicating that ecological benefit balance points would be reached earlier than carbon neutrality timing. The study integrated the data processing and calculation workflow into a Python-based software tool, enabling automated analysis from engineering list import to result visualization. This paper emphasizes that achieving carbon neutrality solely through tree carbon sinks requires an extremely long time period, and the carbon neutrality duration can be significantly shortened by using local materials and zero-carbon building materials such as Cross Laminated Timber (CLT). When different proportions of conventional building materials are replaced with CLT, the carbon neutrality timeline can be substantially reduced, with complete replacement potentially achieving immediate carbon neutrality. This research provides a carbon neutrality prediction model and methodology for urban park development, which can be directly calculated based on the bill of quantities, significantly reducing workload and offering practical guidance for optimizing solutions for enterprises and decision-makers in low-carbon oriented park design and management.

Conventional metrics for evaluating equality in urban green space planning, primarily based on two-dimensional green space (2DGS) area coverage, are insufficient for characterizing the intricate distribution of green resources in three-dimensional space. These traditional measures overlook the substantial contributions of vertical vegetation structures, such as trees and shrubs, to urban ecological health, biodiversity, and aesthetic quality, potentially leading to suboptimal planning outcomes. To address this gap, this study establishes a novel analytical framework that synergizes high-precision remote sensing with advanced machine learning to enable a precise and comprehensive assessment of equality in three-dimensional green volume (3DGV) allocation, thereby supporting more integrated and effective urban green planning. The framework was implemented in the main city of Nanjing through four sequential stages: 1) 2DGS Extraction: Precise delineation of surface green coverage was achieved by applying a Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier to high-resolution remote sensing imagery, generating an accurate foundational map for spatial analysis. 2) 3DGV Modeling and Calculation: A robust Random Forest regression model was developed to estimate 3DGV across the entire study area. This model was trained using detailed field-measured 3DGV data from sample plots and a suite of spectral vegetation indices derived from satellite data, effectively capturing non-linear relationships to ensure reliable volume inversion. 3) Accessibility-Based Equity Measurement: The equity of access to green resources was evaluated using the Two-Step Floating Catchment Area (2SFCA) method. This approach calculated the accessible 3DGV for each residential community by balancing the spatial supply of green volume with local population demand, highlighting fine-grained spatial disparities in availability. 4) Comparative Equity Analysis: The overall equity level was quantified using the Gini coefficient for accessible 3DGV, while the location quotient identified units with relative surplus or deficit. A direct comparison of equity indicators derived from 3DGV and conventional 2DGS metrics revealed the distinct analytical insights provided by the volumetric perspective. The analysis yields several key findings. First, inequalities in 2DGS distribution are amplified in the 3DGV, indicating that area-based disparities lead to even greater volumetric imbalances. Second, the dynamics of 3DGV are more complex and sensitive; it exhibits a lagged and non-linear response to significant changes in surface greenery, making its equity patterns during urbanization more volatile than those of 2DGS. This underscores the critical limitation of relying solely on planar metrics, as they mask these heightened and more sensitive volumetric inequalities. Therefore, the study concludes that achieving equitable green space allocation requires planning policies and regulatory interventions specifically designed to monitor and manage 3DGV. The proposed framework offers a multidimensional, scientifically robust basis for spatial decision-making, providing innovative methodology for advancing sustainable and just urban green environments.

Phylogenetics, originally developed from the life sciences, investigates the entire lifecycle of organisms, thereby uncovering the evolutionary traits and patterns of their subjects of study. Spatial-Temporal characteristics of traditional settlement landscape from the perspective of phylogenetics are helpful to analyze the spatial characteristics of traditional settlement landscape from the dual dimensions of the constantly updated dynamic construction process and the synchronic characteristics formed by spatial superposition, and further clarify the mechanism affecting the Spatial-Temporal characteristics of traditional settlement landscape. Taking the traditional commercial settlement Baimazhai village in Fengcheng, Jiangxi as the research object, the historical environment is regarded as a process of dynamic construction, restoring the historical landscape form of settlements under the influence of "dual commercial activities" from a phylogenetics standpoint, and carried out for the construction of historical landscape of the settlement space is "time evolution" and "spatial congruence" models from the perspective of commercial trade, and presenting a complex system of "multilayered spatiotemporal integration". The results show that: 1) From the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty to modern times, Baimazhai village saw major geographical modifications as a result of natural circumstances, sociocultural causes, and economic growth, considering the impact of Baimazhai village's commercial activities, this study projects historical elements observed in the synchronic state into the diachronic evolution of the village, thus reconstructing its historical spatial development. The evolution process has gone through four stages: the relocation of the foundation period: the beginning of the dragon vein and the separation of sides; During the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty: the houses are lined up horizontally and in a row; During the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty: distributed like a comb and clearly partitioned; Modern: differentiation and integration with blurred partitions. 2) In terms of site selection and construction, Baima Village's ancestors stressed the harmonious relationship of humans and environment, landscape care/Yin-Harmonizing/ancestral temple ceremonial/social interaction/defensive barrier, clan faction, and housing structure landscape space. These zones gradually overlapped and blended, resulting in a village environment distinguished by its proximity to natural landscapes, a rich historical setting, and a community living in harmony and prosperity. 3) The historical landscape of the settlement presents the following three characteristics, namely, "circle-based" + "orderly" landscape space system, "center + group" patriarchal cultural landscape space, and "village-fort-style" + "row-type" combination form. 4) Baimazhai village is more than just a traditional settlement; its evolution is governed by multiple interwoven mechanisms. Firstly, endogenous evolution is primarily fueled by clan kinship, serving as both the evolutionary drive and the connective tissue for spatial development, fundamentally shaping the expansion of social spaces within the settlement. Secondly, embedded evolution is driven by distinctive features, characterized by the strategic incorporation of functional and event-specific spaces, tailored to suit local conditions. The third mechanism, mediated evolution, is propelled by historical events, resulting in the integration of institutional and anticipatory spaces designed for collaborative engagement. Baima Village's development is influenced both by its internal clan dynamics and by external pressures such as merchant guild activities, warfare, and resource disputes. These elements are projected into the settlement's form through its spatial organization, where they interact and coalesce to shape the overall spatial configuration of the settlement, imbuing it with distinct regional cultural significance. Using phylogenetic approaches to investigate its geographical development process, features, and driving forces is conducive to fully understanding the value characteristics of dual-merchant settlements and further deepening the theoretical research system of traditional settlements landscape.

As important supplementary green spaces in high-density urban environments, sky gardens have been increasingly recognized for their potential to promote public physical and mental health. Existing studies have preliminarily evidenced their restorative benefits; however, the underlying mechanisms linking spatial environmental characteristics, physiological responses, and psychological perceptions remain insufficiently understood. In particular, there is still a lack of evidence-based guidance at the level of specific spatial elements, which limits the translation of theoretical findings into practical design and optimization strategies. Against this background, this study takes sky gardens as a research object and aims to systematically measure, interpret, and optimize their restorative benefits from an integrated "spatial-physiological-psychological" perspective. First, drawing on computer vision-based semantic segmentation and a comprehensive literature review, key spatial composition elements and restorative indicators of sky gardens are identified, providing a quantitative foundation for subsequent analysis. Based on this framework, eye-tracking experiments are conducted to capture individuals' visual physiological responses during restorative processes, including attention allocation and visual stress indicators. Meanwhile, psychological restorative perceptions are assessed using the perceived restorativeness scale, covering dimensions such as being away, fascination, coherence, and compatibility. By integrating objective physiological data and subjective psychological evaluations, this study constructs a hierarchical association model linking spatial attributes, visual physiological responses, and psychological restorative outcomes. Subsequently, the proposed "spatia-physiological-psychological" model is applied to different types of sky gardens to identify key spatial indicators that significantly influence restorative benefits. To further enhance the applicability of the findings, an importance-performance analysis (IPA) is employed to distinguish priority spatial elements that require targeted intervention and optimization in design practice. This approach allows not only the identification of influential factors, but also the formulation of practical strategies for improving restorative performance under constrained urban conditions. The results reveal several notable patterns. First, spatial scale and visual depth are identified as critical factors in alleviating visual physiological stress, indicating that appropriate spatial openness and depth perception play a vital role in reducing visual load. Second, sky gardens designed at an embodied scale significantly enhance psychological restorative experiences, particularly in terms of temporarily forgetting responsibilities and obligations, alleviating fear and tension, and fostering immersive engagement with the environment. Third, users generally demonstrate a high level of acceptance of sky gardens within high-density urban living contexts. Among spatial attributes, void-to-solid ratio, sky openness, and facility cleanliness exhibit consistently positive effects on restorative benefits. In contrast, the effects of green landscapes are found to be dual in nature, showing both positive and negative influences depending on their spatial configuration and quality. This finding highlights the necessity of flexibly selecting appropriate indicators to represent greenery quality rather than relying solely on quantity-based measures. Overall, this study provides an integrated analytical framework for understanding and optimizing the restorative benefits of sky gardens by bridging spatial design, physiological responses, and psychological perceptions. By combining computer vision techniques, eye-tracking data, and subjective evaluations, the research offers evidence-based insights that support more precise spatial control and targeted design interventions. The findings contribute not only to the theoretical understanding of restorative environments in high-density cities, but also to the practical guidance for designing and upgrading sky gardens to better support public health and well-being.

In ecologically sensitive and geographically constrained plateau regions, the dynamic relationship between cities and lakes constitutes a fundamental driver of regional sustainability. These landscapes exist in a state of deep interdependence, where the symbiotic interfaces - the transitional zones where urban and lacustrine systems converge-serve as vital arenas for continuous material and energy flows, as well as profound land use and land cover changes. The spatial configuration and functional management of these interfaces are therefore of paramount importance, directly influencing urban ecological resilience, biodiversity, microclimate regulation, and ultimately, the quality of human habitation. Focusing on the emblematic plateau lake-city system of Kunming and Dianchi Lake, this research employs a longitudinal, spatially-explicit analytical framework to unravel the complex co-evolution of urban development and lake ecology. By integrating multi-source remote sensing imagery, geographic information system (GIS) techniques, and statistical data spanning from 1990 to 2020, we systematically quantified the spatiotemporal patterns of urban expansion and lakeshore transformation. The core of our analysis lies in applying a coupled coordination degree model to evaluate the synergistic symbiosis level of the city-lake landscape system, moving beyond descriptive analysis to a quantified assessment of system harmony. The principal findings of this study reveal a nuanced trajectory of interaction and co-adaptation: 1) Spatial-Temporal Dynamics: The evolving tension and negotiation between urban spatial growth and the imperative for lake ecological protection have been the dominant force reshaping the landscape symbiotic interfaces. This has manifested in cyclical patterns of encroachment, retreat, and stabilization, fundamentally altering the structure and functionality of these critical edge zones. 2) Evolution of Synergy: The city-lake landscape relationship has undergone a significant qualitative shift, transitioning from a prolonged period of disharmony and maladjustment (characterized by urban sprawl at the expense of lake health) to an emerging phase of preliminary coordination and mutualism in recent years. Nevertheless, this coordinated state remains fragile and nascent, with the calculated coordination index indicating substantial scope for progression towards a more robust and stable symbiotic regime. 3) Multifaceted Drivers: The pathway towards synergistic development is not deterministic but is mediated by a complex, hierarchical set of interacting factors. Our analysis identifies a confluence of drivers including macro-level economic and demographic policies, the immutable constraints and opportunities presented by the natural terrain and hydrological environment, and the tangible impacts of specific urban planning decisions and construction activities. In conclusion, fostering ecologically livable cities in fragile plateau lake regions requires a holistic, system-level governance approach. This study posits that future strategies must pivot towards two synergistic core pillars: firstly, the intentional enhancement of ecosystem service quality through ecological restoration, blue-green infrastructure networks, and sustainable land use planning within the symbiotic interfaces; and secondly, the implementation of integrated, watershed-scale governance mechanisms that transcend administrative boundaries. Such mechanisms should coordinate water resource management, pollution control, spatial planning, and socio-economic development to align human activities with the carrying capacity of the lake ecosystem, thereby securing a sustainable and synergistic future for plateau city-lake landscapes. Notwithstanding these contributions and policy implications, this study acknowledges certain limitations. The construction of assessment indicators for the city-lake system was constrained by the availability and continuity of spatiotemporal data. Furthermore, the underlying mechanisms driving city-lake symbiosis were primarily explored through qualitative analysis, warranting future quantification and mechanistic modeling. Looking ahead, we propose that future research adopt a more systematic and in-depth perspective to explore the synergistic co-evolution between the entire Dianchi water system-encompassing its tributaries, catchment, and hydrological cycles - and the urban fabric, which would further illuminate pathways toward sustainable coexistence in complex plateau lake basins.