Global Urbanisation: New DFD Reference Work

Worldwide there is a population flow from the countryside into cities. Huge new urban agglomerations arise, slums grow in the remaining open spaces, and megacities merge into megaregions with over 100 million inhabitants. A global city is highly dynamic. Earth observation technologies are essential for completely mapping such extensive settled landscapes. This reference work compiled by DFD scientists gives many examples of how remote sensing can contribute to meeting the challenges arising in the course of urbanisation.

For all five of Earth’s continents the authors present studies of cities and regions both large and small, planned and unplanned, old and new, rich and poor, successful and endangered. A comprehensive picture of global urbanisation processes and their spatial consequences is provided. The built cities themselves, how they influence their surroundings, and the effects of the reciprocal interrelationships on their inhabitants are described and analysed.

The book was published by Springer-Verlag and is available in hardcover and as an ebook.