Assessment of Human Settlement Suitability and Structural Resilience in the Shenyang Metropolitan Area from the Perspective of Spatial Networks

A systematic assessment of the human settlement suitability (HSS) and its structural resilience in metropolitan areas, from a spatial network perspective, is essential for understanding the spatial organization and evolutionary mechanisms of regional human settlement systems. It also supports the high-quality development of metropolitan areas. This study considers the Shenyang Metropolitan Area as the research object and constructs a comprehensive evaluation model of HSS from two dimensions: natural environmental suitability (NES) and human environmental suitability (HES). This study systematically analyzes the spatial distribution pattern of HSS, characteristics of its spatial association network, and its structural resilience, by integrating a modified gravity model, social network analysis (SNA), and structural resilience measurement methods. The results indicate that NES exhibits a high-west to low-east gradient, with high-value areas primarily located in peripheral regions with better ecological conditions. HES reveals a pronounced core–periphery structure, with high suitability concentrated in core cities and their adjacent suburban areas. Under the combined influence of NES and HES, the HSS forms a layered differentiation pattern dominated by core cities. The spatial association network of HSS has an overall low density and displays the coexistence of a core–periphery structure and proximity dependence, in which the HES network demonstrates strong cross-node transmission capacity, while the NES network is significantly constrained by geographical proximity. The structural resilience of the network is characterized by a moderate hierarchy, predominantly homophilic matching, limited transmission efficiency, and pronounced spatial differentiation in aggregation, indicating an overall pattern of highly connected cores with low aggregation and moderately or weakly connected nodes with high aggregation. The findings provide a scientific basis for optimizing the human settlements and enhancing regional resilience governance in metropolitan areas, while offering a novel analytical perspective for research on human settlement systems.