3.1 Introduction
3.1.1 Data and Techniques
Civilian satellite data have become available for more than four decades. There is a
possibility to use declassified satellite images from the US Corona system (and
other orbital systems) for city growth documentation, particularly for the period
when civilian satellite data were not available. Before civilian satellites were
launched, we relied upon only on maps and sketches. It can be helpful not only
for documenting the past of a city, but also for sustainable urban development,
especially in developing countries, where the growth of cities is at a very rapid pace
and there aren’t precise urban plans, maps or documentation. The use of historical
and on-going satellite images can partially solve this problem.
3.1.2 Land Use Change and Urbanization
Monitoring urban development generally includes the use of evolving documentation techniques for built up areas (Pavelka and Svatus ˇkova ´ 2008). Monitoring the
artificial environment components associated with human economic activities
began in the 1970s of the twentieth century (Tayyebi et al. 2014). It has become
necessary due to an attempt to monitor particular irreversible changes of Earth’s
surface, which are mostly unsustainable. The development of contactless data
collection methods such as remote sensing and photogrammetry has made possible
for rapid, inexpensive and reproducible analyses of the area of interest. At first, the
monitoring of vegetation based on multispectral satellite data had been enforced.
Nowadays, there is more than 40 years of civilian satellite multispectral images
ready to be used. This data can be employed to analyze the change in the past.
A number of multinational projects has been conducted because environmental
problems are not bounded by state borders. For example, the Black Triangle
includes the devastated area across the boundaries of the Czech Republic, Germany
and Poland (www.gisat.cz). Other projects were focused on the vegetation monitoring in connection to scientific research or for agricultural purposes (e.g., MARS,
Monitoring Agriculture with Remote Sensing). Many of these projects were
supported by the CEO (The Centre for Earth Observation, Ispra, Italy).
In addition to the built environment monitoring, some general projects dealing
with the global development or the condition of Earth’s surface have been
conducted (e.g., Tayyebi and Pijanowski 2014). In the last 20 years, projects aiming
to monitor urban development with the use of geoinformation system have also
emerged (Tayyebi et al. 2013a, b). This enables better decision-making for planning
future development (Antonson et al. 2010). In particular, the airborne laser scanning method is a relatively new area, offering the possibility to monitor complex
urban areas.
38
K. Pavelka and E. Matous ˇkova ´
3.1.1 Data and Techniques
Civilian satellite data have become available for more than four decades. There is a
possibility to use declassified satellite images from the US Corona system (and
other orbital systems) for city growth documentation, particularly for the period
when civilian satellite data were not available. Before civilian satellites were
launched, we relied upon only on maps and sketches. It can be helpful not only
for documenting the past of a city, but also for sustainable urban development,
especially in developing countries, where the growth of cities is at a very rapid pace
and there aren’t precise urban plans, maps or documentation. The use of historical
and on-going satellite images can partially solve this problem.
3.1.2 Land Use Change and Urbanization
Monitoring urban development generally includes the use of evolving documentation techniques for built up areas (Pavelka and Svatus ˇkova ´ 2008). Monitoring the
artificial environment components associated with human economic activities
began in the 1970s of the twentieth century (Tayyebi et al. 2014). It has become
necessary due to an attempt to monitor particular irreversible changes of Earth’s
surface, which are mostly unsustainable. The development of contactless data
collection methods such as remote sensing and photogrammetry has made possible
for rapid, inexpensive and reproducible analyses of the area of interest. At first, the
monitoring of vegetation based on multispectral satellite data had been enforced.
Nowadays, there is more than 40 years of civilian satellite multispectral images
ready to be used. This data can be employed to analyze the change in the past.
A number of multinational projects has been conducted because environmental
problems are not bounded by state borders. For example, the Black Triangle
includes the devastated area across the boundaries of the Czech Republic, Germany
and Poland (www.gisat.cz). Other projects were focused on the vegetation monitoring in connection to scientific research or for agricultural purposes (e.g., MARS,
Monitoring Agriculture with Remote Sensing). Many of these projects were
supported by the CEO (The Centre for Earth Observation, Ispra, Italy).
In addition to the built environment monitoring, some general projects dealing
with the global development or the condition of Earth’s surface have been
conducted (e.g., Tayyebi and Pijanowski 2014). In the last 20 years, projects aiming
to monitor urban development with the use of geoinformation system have also
emerged (Tayyebi et al. 2013a, b). This enables better decision-making for planning
future development (Antonson et al. 2010). In particular, the airborne laser scanning method is a relatively new area, offering the possibility to monitor complex
urban areas.
38
K. Pavelka and E. Matous ˇkova ´