scholarly journals Mapping Urban Areas Using a Combination of Remote Sensing and Geolocation Data

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nan Xia ◽  
Liang Cheng ◽  
ManChun Li

Urban areas are essential to daily human life; however, the urbanization process also brings about problems, especially in China. Urban mapping at large scales relies heavily on remote sensing (RS) data, which cannot capture socioeconomic features well. Geolocation datasets contain patterns of human movement, which are closely related to the extent of urbanization. However, the integration of RS and geolocation data for urban mapping is performed mostly at the city level or finer scales due to the limitations of geolocation datasets. Tencent provides a large-scale location request density (LRD) dataset with a finer temporal resolution, and makes large-scale urban mapping possible. The objective of this study is to combine multi-source features from RS and geolocation datasets to extract information on urban areas at large scales, including night-time lights, vegetation cover, land surface temperature, population density, LRD, accessibility, and road networks. The random forest (RF) classifier is introduced to deal with these high-dimension features on a 0.01 degree grid. High spatial resolution land cover (LC) products and the normalized difference built-up index from Landsat are used to label all of the samples. The RF prediction results are evaluated using validation samples and compared with LC products for four typical cities. The results show that night-time lights and LRD features contributed the most to the urban prediction results. A total of 176,266 km2 of urban areas in China were extracted using the RF classifier, with an overall accuracy of 90.79% and a kappa coefficient of 0.790. Compared with existing LC products, our results are more consistent with the manually interpreted urban boundaries in the four selected cities. Our results reveal the potential of Tencent LRD data for the extraction of large-scale urban areas, and the reliability of the RF classifier based on a combination of RS and geolocation data.

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (16) ◽  
pp. 4488 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nannan Gao ◽  
Fen Li ◽  
Hui Zeng ◽  
Daniël van Bilsen ◽  
Martin De Jong

Aging, shrinking cities, urban agglomerations and other new key terms continue to emerge when describing the large-scale population changes in various cities in mainland China. It is important to simulate the distribution of residential populations at a coarse scale to manage cities as a whole, and at a fine scale for policy making in infrastructure development. This paper analyzes the relationship between the DN (Digital number, value assigned to a pixel in a digital image) value of NPP-VIIRS (the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership satellite’s Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) and LuoJia1-01 and the residential populations of urban areas at a district, sub-district, community and court level, to compare the influence of resolution of remote sensing data by taking urban land use to map out auxiliary data in which first-class (R1), second-class (R2) and third-class residential areas (R3) are distinguished by house price. The results show that LuoJia1-01 more accurately analyzes population distributions at a court level for second- and third-class residential areas, which account for over 85% of the total population. The accuracy of the LuoJia1-01 simulation data is higher than that of Landscan and GHS (European Commission Global Human Settlement) population. This can be used as an important tool for refining the simulation of residential population distributions. In the future, higher-resolution night-time light data could be used for research on accurate simulation analysis that scales down large-scale populations.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1563
Author(s):  
Yuanyuan Tao ◽  
Qianxin Wang

The accurate identification of PLES changes and the discovery of their evolution characteristics is a key issue to improve the ability of the sustainable development for resource-based urban areas. However, the current methods are unsuitable for the long-term and large-scale PLES investigation. In this study, a modified method of PLES recognition is proposed based on the remote sensing image classification and land function evaluation technology. A multi-dimensional index system is constructed, which can provide a comprehensive evaluation for PLES evolution characteristics. For validation of the proposed methods, the remote sensing image, geographic information, and socio-economic data of five resource-based urbans (Zululand in South Africa, Xuzhou in China, Lota in Chile, Surf Coast in Australia, and Ruhr in Germany) from 1975 to 2020 are collected and tested. The results show that the data availability and calculation efficiency are significantly improved by the proposed method, and the recognition precision is better than 87% (Kappa coefficient). Furthermore, the PLES evolution characteristics show obvious differences at the different urban development stages. The expansions of production, living, and ecological space are fastest at the mining, the initial, and the middle ecological restoration stages, respectively. However, the expansion of living space is always increasing at any stage, and the disorder expansion of living space has led to the decrease of integration of production and ecological spaces. Therefore, the active polices should be formulated to guide the transformation of the living space expansion from jumping-type and spreading-type to filling-type, and the renovation of abandoned industrial and mining lands should be encouraged.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Camila Lorenz ◽  
Marcia C. Castro ◽  
Patricia M. P. Trindade ◽  
Maurício L. Nogueira ◽  
Mariana de Oliveira Lage ◽  
...  

AbstractIdentifying Aedes aegypti breeding hotspots in urban areas is crucial for the design of effective vector control strategies. Remote sensing techniques offer valuable tools for mapping habitat suitability. In this study, we evaluated the association between urban landscape, thermal features, and mosquito infestations. Entomological surveys were conducted between 2016 and 2019 in Vila Toninho, a neighborhood of São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil, in which the numbers of adult female Ae. aegypti were recorded monthly and grouped by season for three years. We used data from 2016 to 2018 to build the model and data from summer of 2019 to validate it. WorldView-3 satellite images were used to extract land cover classes, and land surface temperature data were obtained using the Landsat-8 Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS). A multilevel negative binomial model was fitted to the data, which showed that the winter season has the greatest influence on decreases in mosquito abundance. Green areas and pavements were negatively associated, and a higher cover of asbestos roofs and exposed soil was positively associated with the presence of adult females. These features are related to socio-economic factors but also provide favorable breeding conditions for mosquitos. The application of remote sensing technologies has significant potential for optimizing vector control strategies, future mosquito suppression, and outbreak prediction.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chloé Duffaut ◽  
Nathalie Frascaria-Lacoste ◽  
Pierre-Antoine Versini

<p>Hydro-meteorological risks are increasing and this could be due to global changes. These risks are particularly important in the urban context where most human beings live. Indeed, the impervious surfaces present in cities increase the risk of flooding, for example. Nature-Based Solutions can help to reduce these risks by creating permeable soils or storing water while promoting biodiversity. In this context, it is essential to understand what hinders the development and sustainability of these Nature-based Solutions in the city and what could help to deploy them on a large scale. For this purpose, various professionals working on Nature-Based Solutions in the city in France, were interviewed between 2020 and 2021, both in the academic and operational sectors, or even at the interface between the two: researchers in ecology or hydrology, IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) project manager, project managers at the Regional Biodiversity Agency, director and natural environment manager of a watershed union, agro-economists engineer among others. They were asked what are the barriers and potential opportunities for Nature-Based Solutions implementation and sustainability in city. By analysing their answers, it emerges that the obstacles are more often cultural, political or financial than technical. The potential levers often mentioned are education and awareness-raising at all levels, especially for elected officials and the general public. Regulations such as the PLU (Local Urban Plan) and new funding for more natural spaces in the city also seem to be means of promoting Nature-based Solutions in urban areas. These interviews with diverse professionals directly involved in Nature-Based Solutions in cities allow to give real courses of action to be taken to democratize these Solutions throughout the French territory, or even internationally, and therefore ultimately reduce the risks of hydro-meteorology. This is one of the objectives of the French ANR project EVNATURB (Assessment of ecosystem performance of a renaturation of the urban environment), in which this study has been carried out.</p>


2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 614 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elânia Daniele Silva Araújo

A intensa urbanização causa diversos problemas de natureza ambiental, climática e social. O crescimento não planejado da população urbana e a remoção da vegetação são fatores que intensificam estes problemas. As temperaturas na cidade são significativamente mais quentes do que as suas zonas rurais circundantes devido às atividades humanas. As intensas mudanças espaciais em áreas urbanas, promovem significativo aumento na temperatura, causando o chamado efeito de Ilha de Calor Urbano (ICU). Campina Grande é uma cidade de tamanho médio que experimentou um crescimento desordenado, desde o tempo do comércio de algodão e, como qualquer cidade de grande ou médio porte, sofre alterações em seu espaço. Dessa forma, este estudo teve por objetivo analisar a variabilidade espaço-temporal da temperatura da superfície (Ts) e detectar ICU, através de técnicas de sensoriamento remoto. Para o efeito, foram utilizadas imagens dos satélites Landsat 5 e 8, dos anos de 1995, 2007 e 2014. Aumentos da Ts foram bem evidentes e foram detectadas duas ICU. Campina Grande mostra um padrão de tendência: o crescimento urbano não planejado é responsável por mudanças no ambiente físico e na forma e estrutura espacial da cidade, o que se reflete sobre o microclima e, em última análise, na qualidade de vida das pessoas.   ABSTRACT The intense urbanization causes several problems of environmental, climate and social nature. The unplanned growth of urban population and the vegetation removal are factors that deepen these problems. Temperatures in the city are significantly warmer than its surrounding rural areas due to human activities. Large spatial changes in urban areas promote significant increase in temperature, causing the so-called Urban Heat Island effect (UHI). Campina Grande is a medium-sized town that experienced an uncontrolled growth since the time of the cotton trade and like any large or medium-sized city, undergoes changes in its space. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze surface temperature spatial and temporal variability and to detect potential UHI, through remote sensing techniques. Spectral images from Landsat 5 and 8 satellites were used. Using images from years 1995, 2007 and 2014, considerable increases in temperature were identified and two UHI were recognize. Campina Grande shows a trend pattern: the urban unplanned growth is responsible for changes in the physical environment and in the form and spatial structure of the city, reflecting on people quality of life. Keywords: change detection, surface temperature, heat islands, urbanization.   


Author(s):  
Dinesh Bhugra ◽  
Antonio Ventriglio

Sexual acts form the basis of human life. In urban areas, both male and female sex workers and their mental health have been studied. The risks of resulting sexually transmitted diseases are higher and, consequently, physical and psychiatric comorbidity may be higher. The theory of sex markets focuses on sexual partnering and emphasizes that it is fundamentally a local process, meaning that the two people must live within reasonable geographical proximity to initiate and develop a sexual relationship that is physical. Of course, often people do indulge in cybersex, for which adequate electronic and WiFi facilities have to be available. Economic needs and perspectives may play a major role in transient sexual partnering.


Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 810 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Barragán-Escandón ◽  
Esteban Zalamea-León ◽  
Julio Terrados-Cepeda

Previous research has assessed the potential of solar energy against possible demand; however, the sustainability issues associated with the use of large-scale photovoltaic deployment in urban areas have not been jointly established. In this paper, the impact of photovoltaic energy in the total urban energy mix is estimated using a series of indicators that consider the economic, environmental and social dimensions. These indicators have been previously applied at the country level; the main contribution of this research is applying them at the urban level to the city of Cuenca, Ecuador. Cuenca is close to the equatorial line and at a high altitude, enabling this area to reach the maximum self-supply index because of the high irradiation levels and reduced demand. The solar potential was estimated using a simple methodology that applies several indexes that were proven reliable in a local context considering this particular sun path. The results demonstrate that the solar potential can meet the electric power demand of this city, and only the indicator related to employment is positive and substantially affected. The indicators related to the price of energy, emissions and fossil fuel dependency do not change significantly, unless a fuel-to-electricity transport system conversions take place.


Author(s):  
Changmiao Hu ◽  
Ping Tang

In recent years, China's demand for satellite remote sensing images increased. Thus, the country launched a series of satellites equipped with high-resolution sensors. The resolutions of these satellites range from 30 m to a few meters, and the spectral range covers the visible to the near-infrared band. These satellite images are mainly used for environmental monitoring, mapping, land surface classification and other fields. However, haze is an important factor that often affects image quality. Thus, dehazing technology is becoming a critical step in high-resolution remote sensing image processing. This paper presents a rapid algorithm for dehazing based on a semi-physical haze model. Large-scale median filtering technique is used to extract large areas of bright, low-frequency information from images to estimate the distribution and thickness of the haze. Four images from different satellites are used for experiment. Results show that the algorithm is valid, fast, and suitable for the rapid dehazing of numerous large-sized high-resolution remote sensing images in engineering applications.


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