Research project T4/DD/59 (Research action T4)
Inventorying (un)built areas based on very high resolution satellite imagery. A quality controlled, integrated methodology adapted to Flanders?s land planning and manangement policy.
This project is submitted by an ad hoc partnership between O.C.-GIS Vlaanderen, AROHM, V.L.M., VUB , ULg and the city of Gent. OC GIS Vlaanderen has already acquired the necessary know-how and has invested in the computer infrastructure needed for satellite image processing and hence acts as the technical-operational partner in this project. The Administration for Spatial Planning, Housing and Monuments (AROHM), the Vlaamse Land Maatschappij (V.L.M.) and Gent, with their specific experience in the domain of planning issues, act as thematic partners in this project.
The background of the universities VUB and ULG in the areas of image classification and error propagation will be called upon to complete the proposed project.
The project will make use of very high-resolution (VHR) satellite data and of the digital geographical data owned by OC GIS Vlaanderen. This proposal aims at in depth generation of thematic geo-information while at the same time transferring technical know how. More specifically the objectives can be summarised as follows:
- The construction of a thematic map of the built up area in selected study areas using VHR satellite imagery. This map will result from manual as well as semi-automatic image classification procedures. An analysis of errors will be performed for the semi-automatic classification and a validation will be made by comparison with the results of the manual method of photo-interpretation;
- The linking of these data to individual cadastral parcels using GIS operations as an alternative to the current procedure of inventorying the build-up parcels in residential areas applied by the individual communities;
- Extracting information from the images that is useful to the thematic partners e.g. the density of buildings and scale related properties in urban areas.
This project has as a further specific goal the promotion of the use of satellite remote sensing data in regional and local governmental planning departments.
The test-areas will be selected taking into account the availability of very high-resolution images (to be acquired in early 1999) and vector cadastral maps.
The study areas will be situated in Gent, De Pinte and Hasselt.
The principal expected results are:
At the regional level:
- A new method for the production of a thematic map of the built area using VHR images;
- The proposal of an alternative GIS-based method for inventorying built-on cadastral parcels;
- A proposed method to characterise morphological properties of built areas;
- Promoting VHR-image products within the administrations (posters, slideshow..).
For each test area:
- Colour composites of the VHR images at different scales;
- A thematic map of the built-up area;
- An inventory of (un)built parcels;
- A prototype map of the morphological building density;
- A prototype map of scale related properties.
A final project report.
All partners in the project have part of the necessary know-how and sufficiently compatible computer infrastructure to guarantee a close co-operation and a successful realisation of the project.
Finally, one of the very interesting aspects of this project is the involvement of a wide variety of partners striving to achieve the same goals.
