Remote Sensing Technologies and Applications in Urban Environments II

Abstract

The global urbanization constitutes an epochal transformation of the Earth. Since 2007 for the first time in human history more people have lived in cities than in the countryside. According to the United Nations in 2050, around 75% of the worldwide population will be living in cities. The population density, traffic and infrastructure, environmental and energy problems, climate change, migration, demographic change, aspects of vulnerability and sustainability, new forms of mobility and sharing - unprecedented challenges and opportunities are continuously arising. In any case, the urban environment plays a major role in the development of humanity and the quality of life of the individual citizen. Remote Sensing Technologies and Applications offer a wealth of possibilities and opportunities to monitor the urban environment, to support planning processes, to enhance the availability of relevant information, to shape the sustainable city and to improve the quality of life of citizens. This volume contains papers related to advanced remote sensing technologies, applications and information systems focusing on the urban environment that push beyond the state-of-the-art. These include: Remote Sensing of Urban Air Quality and Climate • Monitoring of air pollutants • Characterization of related meteorological parameters • Urban air quality and climate under climate change • CO2 emissions, capture and sequestration • Urban Energy Budget and heat fluxes • Local Climate Zones • Urban Heat Island. Remote Sensing for Urban Planning • 2D, 3D and multi-temporal mapping of the built environment • Urban morphology, infrastructures and traffic • Urban land cover and biodiversity • Urban metabolism (water, energy, waste) • Remote sensing-based urban planning indicators • Nature Based Solutions. Smart Cities • Information services and mobile applications • Crowd sourcing and micro-sensors • Data assimilation (combining measurements and models) • Quality of life services • Support to people at risk and the health community • The sustainable and resilient city.