Towards symbiotic urbanism: Mitigating the impact of river channelization in the New Territories of Hong Kong

River channelization has been commonly adopted to control flooding in urban development. However, this urban-oriented physical transformation of hydrologic systems can aggravate structural changes in ecological regimes, affecting the environmental conditions of the surrounding land, accelerating landscape transformations, and leading to deleterious societal implications. Differently, mitigation strategies may produce a socio-spatial response to the progressive deterioration of rural landscapes; nevertheless, this response is still investigated by a paucity of scientific research. Longitudinal data on the morphological change of the Sheung Yue River, Hong Kong, and the landscape pattern modifications at the catchment level, interpreted from aerial photographs and high-resolution satellite imagery, were analyzed to understand the impacts of environmental mitigation strategies in river channelization on landscape transformation. Additionally, in-depth interviews provided crucial knowledge on the societal response to the landscape mutation. The results indicate that integrating environmental mitigation strategies can reduce the negative impacts of channelization. The research highlights the significance of socio-environmental responsive urban development strategies in the policy-making of Southeast Asia. It discusses the close interconnection of environmental and social factors in urbanization, revealing the potential to consolidate a dynamic equilibrium of hydrologic systems and sustainable urban habitats. © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.