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High-spatiotemporal-resolution mapping of global urban change from 1985 to 2015

Author

Listed:
  • Xiaoping Liu

    (Sun Yat-Sen University
    Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai))

  • Yinghuai Huang

    (Sun Yat-Sen University)

  • Xiaocong Xu

    (Sun Yat-Sen University)

  • Xuecao Li

    (Iowa State University)

  • Xia Li

    (East China Normal University)

  • Philippe Ciais

    (Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement, UMR 1572 CEA-CNRS-UVSQ)

  • Peirong Lin

    (Princeton University)

  • Kai Gong

    (Princeton University)

  • Alan D. Ziegler

    (Mae Jo University, Mae Jo)

  • Anping Chen

    (Colorado State University)

  • Peng Gong

    (Tsinghua University)

  • Jun Chen

    (National Geomatics Center of China)

  • Guohua Hu

    (East China Normal University)

  • Yimin Chen

    (Sun Yat-Sen University)

  • Shaojian Wang

    (Sun Yat-Sen University)

  • Qiusheng Wu

    (University of Tennessee)

  • Kangning Huang

    (Yale University)

  • Lyndon Estes

    (Clark University)

  • Zhenzhong Zeng

    (Princeton University
    Southern University of Science and Technology)

Abstract

High-resolution global maps of annual urban land coverage provide fundamental information of global environmental change and contribute to applications related to climate mitigation and urban planning for sustainable development. Here we map global annual urban dynamics from 1985 to 2015 at a 30 m resolution using numerous surface reflectance data from Landsat satellites. We find that global urban extent has expanded by 9,687 km2 per year. This rate is four times greater than previous reputable estimates from worldwide individual cities, suggesting an unprecedented rate of global urbanization. The rate of urban expansion is notably faster than that of population growth, indicating that the urban land area already exceeds what is needed to sustain population growth. Looking ahead, using these maps in conjunction with integrated assessment models can facilitate greater understanding of the complex environmental impacts of urbanization and help urban planners avoid natural hazards; for example, by limiting new development in flood risk zones.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiaoping Liu & Yinghuai Huang & Xiaocong Xu & Xuecao Li & Xia Li & Philippe Ciais & Peirong Lin & Kai Gong & Alan D. Ziegler & Anping Chen & Peng Gong & Jun Chen & Guohua Hu & Yimin Chen & Shaojian Wa, 2020. "High-spatiotemporal-resolution mapping of global urban change from 1985 to 2015," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 3(7), pages 564-570, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natsus:v:3:y:2020:i:7:d:10.1038_s41893-020-0521-x
    DOI: 10.1038/s41893-020-0521-x
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    Cited by:

    1. Xingbo Yin, 2022. "The influence of urbanization on vegetation carbon pools under a tele-coupling framework in China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(3), pages 4046-4063, March.
    2. Chen, Hang & Meng, Fei & Yu, Zhenning & Tan, Yongzhong, 2022. "Spatial–temporal characteristics and influencing factors of farmland expansion in different agricultural regions of Heilongjiang Province, China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    3. Tang, Zhipeng & Yu, Haojie & Zou, Jialing, 2023. "Neighbor impacts of environmental regulation: The case of low-carbon pilot program in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 276(C).
    4. Ding, Dan & Liu, Xiaoping & Xu, Xiaocong, 2024. "Projecting the future fine-resolution carbon dioxide emissions under the shared socioeconomic pathways for carbon peak evaluation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 365(C).

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