From Earth Observation to Urban Planning in Cities

Abstract

Can earth observation data, methods and products substantially support the complex process of urban planning? Today urban planners confirm that remotely sensed data and derived products are only used rudimentarily in their daily routine. The rapid development of technologies and applications in the field of remote sensing open up new capabilities: From multitemporal monitoring of urbanization to 3-D city models, from analysing spatial structures to cross-city comparisons, from indirect assessments of population distribution to socio-economic analysis, from applications in the fields of urban climate, vulnerability analysis, traffic detection to energy-relevant questions. Thus, a critical discussion is needed beyond long-established remote sensing or planning communities to transform the new capabilities into practical value.