Remote Sensing and Urban Planning – A Common Future?

Abstract

Urban planning can achieve many gains through closer connection to the remote sensing community and use of modern remote sensing technologies. While some projects, such as the European Urban Atlas extensively use remotely sensed data, the gradual commercialization of satellite or airborne earth observation since the 1970s and its prospects on performance and effectiveness have greatly expanded. Earlier predictions on uptake and use were probably far too optimistic. This led to some disappoints where projects were not realised. In consequence, remote sensing data and products often played, at least in Germany, a secondary role. Today urban planners confirm that remotely sensed data and derived products are only used rudimentarily in their daily routine. For this reason it is important to demonstrate the value of today’s earth observation technologies for urban planning.