Characteristics Of Urban Sprawl Research Articles

Urban Sprawl in the context of proximity factors using Shannon’s Entropy Index and fractal dimensions: a case of Lucknow

ABSTRACT This study employs Geomatics techniques, including Remote Sensing (RS) for satellite dataset acquisition and Geographic Information System (GIS) for analysing Land-use Land-cover (LULC) patterns, to assess the nature of urban sprawl. Central to this analysis are the proximity to the Central Business District (CBD) and major roads. The research utilises low- and high-density measures to distinguish the varying characteristics of urban sprawl, allowing for the prioritisation of sustainable objectives across different city zones. The study applies Shannon’s Entropy Index (SEI) and Fractal Dimensions (FD) analysis to the years 1991 and 2021, focusing on CBD and major roads proximity.

A REVIEW OF DIY'S DECENTRALIZATION OF THE URBAN SPRAWL PHENOMENON IN THE YOGYAKARTA METROPOLITAN AREA (KARTAMANTUL)

Decentralization in Indonesia has led to a shift in responsibilities from the central government to the regions. This has been observed in the distribution of jobs and population across metropolitan areas, such as in the Yogyakarta Metropolitan Area (Kartamantul). Kartamantul is a secondary metropolitan area in Indonesia where local governments have taken the initiative to jointly form a Joint Secretariat. The development of Kartamantul has expanded into the peripheral areas, as evidenced by changes in land use. This article examines the impact of decentralization by the Government of the Special Region of Yogyakarta on the phenomenon of urban sprawl in the Kartamantul Region. The analytical method used is descriptive analysis, with secondary data collection from previous research on decentralization and urban sprawl in Yogyakarta. The results of the analysis identify the characteristics of urban sprawl in Kartamantul based on three aspects: land use change, population growth, and economic growth. By 2017, there had been changes in non-built-up land use in the peri-urban areas of Yogyakarta, accompanied by population growth and economic expansion. The Joint Secretariat of Kartamantul has come up with solutions to address the urban sprawl phenomenon, such as the addition of Trans-Jogja routes reaching Bantul and Sleman regencies, as well as collaborative management of the Piyungan Landfill and Sewon WWTP. The conclusion of this research is that cooperation among regional governments through the Joint Secretariat of Kartamantul is an effective grassroots initiative. However, there is a need for the Joint Secretariat to be involved in spatial planning due to the complex development challenges in Kartamantul.

ANALYSING URBAN SPRAWL OF THE MUMBAI METROPOLITAN REGION USING REMOTE SENSING AND SOCIOECONOMIC DATA

Abstract. Urban growth in developing countries like India is happening more than twice as fast as the population increase. Such rapid urban growth has resulted in urban sprawl characterized by low-density scattered development. Urban planners require a timely updated dataset and suitable tools to monitor the urban sprawl and ensure sustainable development. The present study uses Landsat data from 1999, 2009 and 2019 and socioeconomic data to study the urban sprawl characteristic of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) over two decades. The analyses show that MMR's built-up areas have expanded from 400 sq. km in 1999 to 761 sq. km in 2019, implying a 90% growth in the past two decades. While most municipal corporations have more than 60% of land covered by built-up areas, municipal councils are less saturated, with <30% built-up covers. With saturated land spaces within municipal corporations, higher growth rates are observed in the municipal councils. Also, the urban growth rates in these municipal councils outpace the population growth rate. The urban sprawl indices computed also suggest a continuous compact development within the municipal corporations while a continued sprawling within these fast-developing municipal councils. Mira Bhayandar is the most compact, while Bhiwandi Special Notified Area is the most sprawled urban area in MMR. The analyses show a clear indication of urban sprawl characteristics of the MMR. Many of these municipal councils are in the initial stages of development and lack appropriate governance to tackle rapid urbanization. Suitable policy measures that result in balanced urban growth can help ensure sustainable development.

Urban Sprawl and Its Multidimensional and Multiscale Measurement

The evaluation and dynamic monitoring of urban sprawl is essential to the sustainable development of cities and therefore attracts enthusiasm from numerous scholars. This study conducted a thorough review of the literature on the multidimensional and multiscale measurement of urban sprawl. Firstly, it provides a definition based on the common characteristics of urban sprawl to contribute to a relatively uniform definition and judging criteria. Secondly, indicators of growth, morphology, density, land use mixture, and accessibility dimensions are sorted out, as well as dimensions that are not widely operationalized but make sense. Thirdly, the review spotlights single-dimensional measures in large-sample comparative studies and booming comparative studies based on multidimensional measures. Furthermore, another focus lies on different spatiotemporal combinations of temporal and spatial scales for the measurement. Overall, there are large gaps in comparative studies on the multidimensional measurement of urban sprawl under multiple spatiotemporal scales. In particular, few micro-scale studies focus on inner-city units, and few measure urban sprawl at multiple scales simultaneously. Finally, the challenges and future of multidimensional and multiscale measurements are discussed: relativity and uncertainty of sprawl criteria; strong dependence on the choice of spatiotemporal scales; comparability of sprawl measurements that remains to be improved; the necessity of long-term international cooperation on the measurement of urban sprawl at the global and regional levels. The article appeals for more multidimensional and multiscale urban sprawl measurement studies based on multi-case comparisons in the future, especially in the developing context.

The Multidimensional Measurement Method of Urban Sprawl and Its Empirical Analysis in Shanghai Metropolitan Area

Urban sprawl concerns the high-quality and sustainable development of large cities. Due to the ambiguous definition, diversity of measurement indices and complexity of the driving mechanism of urban sprawl, the research results are rich but controversial. How does one carry out multidimensional measurement of urban sprawl? How does one reveal the spatio-temporal evolution characteristics of urban sprawl dynamically? First, according to the three common characteristics of urban sprawl (discontinuity of land use, low population density and inefficiency of land use), we, respectively, measure the urban sprawl of Shanghai metropolitan area by single index and comprehensive indices based on multi-source geospatial data. Next, using geographic information system (GIS) method, the temporal and spatial characteristics of urban sprawl in Shanghai are quantitatively and dynamically analyzed. The results show that (1) land use continuity reveals that fringe expansion is the main mode of urban sprawl, population density exhibits an upwards trend, and land use benefit shows that the sprawl increased first, then decreased and increased again, i.e., “N” type trend. The results of the above three comprehensive superpositions indicate that the urban sprawl in Shanghai changed from severe in 1995 to mild in 2010 and in 2020. (2) From 1990 to 2020, urban sprawl in Shanghai showed a trend of decreasing first, then increasing and decreasing again, which is consistent with an evolutionary trend of newly increased construction land. The larger the sprawl area was, the lower the land use efficiency of the sprawl area was. (3) The main directions of urban sprawl were southeast and southwest, and Songjiang District and Pudong New Area were the main sprawl areas. The peak value of urban sprawl mainly occurred at 20–30 km and was located in the area between the outer ring and the suburban ring. (4) Through time series analysis, we found that the effective supply of housing significantly affected the intensity and scale of urban sprawl but not the speed of urban sprawl in Shanghai metropolitan area. These findings are helpful to reasonably evaluate the real picture of urban sprawl in Shanghai metropolitan areas and provide reference for the formulation of urban sprawl governance policies.

The effect of regional integration on urban sprawl in urban agglomeration areas: A case study of the Yangtze River Delta, China

Urban sprawl refers to inefficient, disorderly, and low-density urban constructions that restrict sustainable development, in the context of rapid urbanization and industrialization. For decades, there have been debates on the evaluation, analysis, and control of urban sprawl. However, the relationship and impacts of intercity interactions on urban sprawl have been insufficiently discussed for urban agglomeration areas. This has resulted in an inadequate understanding of and policy implementation for sprawl in such areas. In this study, an empirical analysis was conducted on the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), one of the most socioeconomically developed urban agglomerations in China. This study first analyzed the dynamic spatiotemporal characteristics of urban sprawl in this area. Thereafter, the relationship between intercity connections and urban sprawl was explored, using a geographically weighted regression model and comparative experimental analysis. Finally, the challenges of urban sprawl were analyzed, to provide a decision-making basis for spatial territorial governance, management, and planning. The study found the following: (1) From 2005 to 2020, urban land in the YRD region increased by 9348.99 km2, occupying 68.73% of the increased land; (2) based on the comprehensive relationship between urban expansion, socioeconomic development, and urban function, urban sprawl was identified in the YRD region and was found to have mainly occurred from 2015 to 2020; (3) regional integration had a significant positive effect on promoting urban sprawl in the YRD region; and (4) spatial control strategies were provided for endogenous-driven, exogenous-driven, and development monitoring-type urban sprawl areas, based on urban sprawl characteristics and dynamic analysis.

Simulation on the Evolution Trend of the Urban Sprawl Spatial Pattern in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River, China.

Urban sprawl has become the main pattern of spatial expansion in many large cities in China, and its ecological and environmental effects profoundly impact Chinese urban development. In this paper, nighttime light data and statistical yearbook data are adopted as basic data sources to simulate the evolution trend of the urban sprawl in the upper Yangtze River (UYR), China. First, the urban sprawl index (USI) is employed to assess the level of urban sprawl and to determine the characteristics of urban sprawl under different scales. Second, the spatial autocorrelation model is applied to reveal the spatial pattern change characteristics of urban sprawl from 1992 to 2015. Third, a scenario analysis model of urban sprawl is constructed to simulate the evolution trend of the urban sprawl under different scenarios. Finally, based on the Geodetector, the influence of factors and factor interactions influencing urban sprawl in different time periods is analyzed. The results yield the following main conclusions: (1) The urban sprawl in the UYR first intensifies and then stabilizes over time. The number of cities with high USI in Sichuan province, medium cities, and Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomeration increases over time, indicating that urban sprawl is intensifying in these areas. (2) The urban sprawl hot spots experience a pattern transformation process of point-like expansion-point-ring expansion-point-axis expansion-axis radiation. (3) Under the scenarios with different scales, the urban land sprawl in large cities is the highest, accounting for more than 47% of the UYR. Urban land sprawl extent in the Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomeration is the highest, accounting for more than 51% of the UYR. The cities exhibiting the highest sprawl are Chongqing, Lijiang, and Kunming, accounting for 25.84%, 7.37%, and 5.11%, respectively, of the UYR. (4) In the different time scenario simulations, the urban land in large cities exhibits the highest sprawl, accounting for approximately 48.16% of the UYR. The urban land in the Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomeration demonstrates the highest sprawl, accounting for 50.92% of the UYR. (5) From 1996 to 2002, the driver with the highest influence on urban sprawl was secondary industry share of GDP, with a q-statistic of 0.616. From 2009 to 2015, the driver with the highest influence on urban sprawl was green space per capita with a q-statistic of 0.396.

Identification of urban sprawl phenomenon and its implications in the City of Yogyakarta Province of Special Region of Yogyakarta

Urban sprawl is a random urban expansion that causes productive land to decrease, change the shape of the city, or irregular morphology of the city. The paper aims to identify the phenomenon of urban sprawl and its implications that occur in the City of Yogyakarta. The methods used are descriptive analysis and spatial analysis through secondary data. The results of this paper include the symptoms or characteristics of urban sprawl found in the City of Yogyakarta, from 14 subdistricts there are 3 subdistricts that have a high potential urban sprawl namely Wirobrajan, Mantrijeron and Kotagede subdistricts. This paper also describes the identification of urban sprawl in City of Yogyakarta based on existing characeristics. It is based on the CBD map found in this study. Furthermore, the implications that occur cause some urban problems such as narrowing of land, high population pressure, change of land use from agricultural land to residential land and shops, land support capacity and declining availability, increased population migration, increased urbanization rate, soaring land invention prices, development projects that are increasingly spreading and developing economic and industrial centers.

Monitoring and Characterizing Urban Sprawl in Raipur Urban Agglomeration, India from 2005 to 2015 using Geospatial Techniques

Abstract Urban sprawl is a significant challenge to sustainable urban development, particularly in developing nations. Based on remote sensing and geographic information system, this paper attempts to investigate land cover changes and urban sprawl characteristics of Raipur Urban Agglomeration (UA), India from 2005 and 2015. Landsat satellite images were extracted to conduct land cover change detection. Maximum Likelihood Classification tool in ArcGIS 10.3 was used to prepare land cover maps of Raipur UA. The accuracy of the land cover maps was assessed by determining overall accuracy and kappa coefficient. Transition matrix was prepared to identify the pattern of land cover conversion to built-up in Raipur UA. Major built-up growth direction was identified through the cardinal direction approach. Shannon’s entropy index and landscape metrics detect and characterize urban sprawl, respectively. The results indicated the prevalence of rapid urban sprawl with characteristics such as a reduction in agriculture and fallow land, outward expansion, monocentric development, and haphazard urban growth. The effect of urban development policies which has aggravated urban sprawl in Raipur UA has been discussed. The obtained results will be helpful to promote urban sustenance in the Raipur urban agglomeration.

Spatial–Temporal Impacts of Urban Sprawl on Ecosystem Services: Implications for Urban Planning in the Process of Rapid Urbanization

Rapid urbanization drives land cover change, affecting urban ecosystems and inducing serious environmental issues. The study region of Changchun, China was divided into three urbanization categories according to different urbanization levels and the characteristics of urban sprawl and changes and relationships between typical ecosystem services (ESs) under rapid urbanization were analysed. The results showed that Changchun has undergone considerable urban expansion since 2000, which has significantly impacted all ESs in terms of spatial and temporal heterogeneity. Habitat suitability and crop yield have relatively stronger service capacity in the study area. Since the expansion of large-scale infrastructures, the mean ES values of developed urban areas are the lowest among the three zones, except for water retention and sandstorm prevention in 2015, when the balance between all services decreased. Over the past 16 years, habitat suitability in developing urban areas has decreased to a large extent due to urban sprawl. Because of the improvement in agricultural science and technology, crop yield in three regions increased, while the area of cropland reduced from 1720 km2 to 1560 km2 (9.3%). Synergies between habitat suitability and carbon storage and habitat suitability and soil retention were detected in three areas. A trade-off between habitat suitability and water retention was detected in three areas. The interactions between crop yield and carbon storage, habitat suitability, and soil retention were more complex in this study region. In addition to water retention, urbanization index has a negative correlation with ESs. According to the results, some suggestions to alleviate ES loss during the process of rapid urbanization were proposed, which may guide scientific urban planning for sustainable urban development.

A Geo-Spatial Analysis for Characterising Urban Sprawl Patterns in the Batticaloa Municipal Council, Sri Lanka

Urban sprawl related to rapid urbanisation in developed and developing nations affects sustainable land use. In Sri Lanka, urban areas have mostly expanded in a rather spontaneous, unplanned manner (based on the current settlers’ subjective movement) rather than conforming to the local government’s development plan. This growth inevitably leads to uncontrolled urban sprawl in many Sri Lankan cities, including Batticaloa. So far, Sri Lanka’s planners or researchers have not yet tackled the sprawling developments in this city. Understanding the different forms and patterns of urban sprawl is the key to address sprawling growth. This study aims to identify the characteristics of urban sprawl in the Batticaloa municipal council using Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing technology. Landsat satellite images for the years 2000, 2010, and 2020 as well as 2002, 2011, and 2019 population data were used and analysed using ArcGIS’ maximum likelihood classification tool and the density function, respectively, to delineate the characteristics of urban sprawl. The results revealed that low-density development, leapfrog development, commercial ribbon development, and scattered growth are the influencing characteristics of urban sprawl in the Batticaloa municipality. These characteristics were found mainly in the urban edge of the city and have led to urban sprawl. The finding provides knowledge into recognising the characteristics of urban sprawl with empirical evidence. It affords a clear direction for future studies of urban sprawl in rapidly growing cities that are numerous in Sri Lanka, and the identified characteristics of urban sprawl can be useful in minimising future sprawl. This result can be a tool for future urban planning and management in the Batticaloa municipality.

Monitoring Urban Sprawl Using Time-Series Data: Famagusta Region of Northern Cyprus

Monitoring urban sprawl is a controversial topic among scholars. Many studies have tried to employ various methods for monitoring urban sprawl in cases of North American and Northern and Western European cities. Although numerous methods have been applied with great success in various developed countries, they are predominantly impractical for cases of developing Mediterranean European cities that lack reliable census data. Besides, the complexity of the methods made them difficult to perform in underfunded situations. Therefore, this study aims to develop a new multidimensional method that researchers and planners can apply readily in developing Mediterranean European cities. The new method was tested in the Famagusta region of Northern Cyprus, which has been experiencing unplanned growth for the past half-century. In support of this proposal, a detailed review of the existing literature is presented with an emphasis on urban sprawl characteristics. Four characteristics were chosen to monitor urban sprawl’s development in the Famagusta region. The method was structured based on a time-series (2001, 2006, 2011, and 2016) dataset that used remote sensing data and geographical information systems to monitor the urban sprawl. Based on the findings, the Famagusta region experienced rapid growth during the last 15 years. The lack of a masterplan resulted in the uncontrolled expansion of the city in the exurban areas. The development configuration was polycentric and linear in form with single-use composition. Together, the expansion and configuration manifested as more built-up area, scattered development, and increased automobile dependency.

Assessment of urban sprawl characteristics in Indian cities using remote sensing: case studies of Patna, Ranchi, and Srinagar

The rapid urban growth in mid-sized cities of developing nations has induced conflict between development and the environment, often leading to urban sprawl. However, studies focusing on the assessment of urban sprawl in mid-sized cities are comparatively rare. Therefore, this paper assesses the spatio-temporal urban sprawl characteristics of three typical mid-sized Indian cities, such as Patna Urban Agglomeration (UA), Ranchi UA, and Srinagar UA, from 1991 to 2018 using Landsat images. The population density, landscape metrics, and urban expansion index were employed to detect and assess urban sprawl characteristics. A multivariable integrated urban sprawl index was computed using Z-score to examine the intensity of urban sprawl. The results revealed robust evidence of the built-up growth in all three cities. The rise in built-up was observed due to the conversion of fallow and agriculture land covers in Patna UA and Ranchi UA, while water body and fallow land covers in Srinagar UA. Despite an increase in the total population and built-up, population density declined in all three cities. The analysis using landscape metrics exhibited continuous outward expansion with an increase in shape irregularity of built-up patches. The urban expansion index indicated the prevalence of edge expansion typology of urban sprawl. Patna UA exhibited the highest intensity of urban sprawl as per the multivariable integrated urban sprawl index. The obtained results will benefit the urban planners and officials to promote urban sustenance by preparing relevant strategies under the Smart City Mission. This study demonstrated an effective utilization of scientific approaches to assess urban sprawl characteristics in mid-sized cities.

광역도시권의 스프롤 특성: 시군구 스케일의 다차원적 스프롤 측정을 중심으로

광역도시권의 스프롤 특성: 시군구 스케일의 다차원적 스프롤 측정을 중심으로

Analysing temporal and spatial urban sprawl change of Bursa city using landscape metrics and remote sensing

This paper aims to analyse the effect of spatio-temporal urban dynamics of Bursa city in terms of urban development trends and landscape metrics on the land use/cover change. Four different remotely sensed data recorded in 1979, 1989, 2000, 2013 and future simulation map of 2040 were used for the analysis. SLEUTH model in the frame of cellular automata was adopted for the future development. Object-based classification approach was used to extract the land use/cover maps and determine the quantity and quality of change in order to identify the land degradation. Eight urban landscape metrics were calculated from current and future land use/cover classification data. General phases of diffusion and coalescence in urban sprawl were revealed through the metric calculations. The most devastating change was defined on the agricultural lands. Metric results indicated that the irregular urban growth leads to an increase in patch number which ended up with the land degradation. Although the urbanization pattern mostly moved from the “seed” area to outwards for different time periods, the new spreading centres for the individual patches were observed for the future urban development. The empirical results and findings for historical and future land use/cover provided an insight to urban sprawl characteristics and further development of sustainable urban planning studies.

Urban Sprawl Risk Delimitation: The Concept for Spatial Planning Policy in Poland

Urban sprawl is a process shaping the space of contemporary urban areas. The costs generated by this phenomenon force central and local authorities to adopt and implement a spatial policy limiting those costs. However, there is no method in Polish spatial policy that determines the extent of this phenomenon around cities, and thus identifies the area of intervention. Therefore, the purpose of the article is to propose a method of delimitation of urban areas at risk of urban sprawl. The proposed method of delimitation honors the characteristics of urban sprawl relating to spatial structure, socio-economic processes and efficiency of spatial policy. The method can be useful for conducting spatial policy aimed at reducing costs due to urban sprawl. It particularly pertains to the policy implemented at the central and regional level. Research results indicate that, in most Polish urban areas, delimitations used thus far designate too little of the area around core cities. Although the goals of reducing the negative consequences of urban sprawl are formulated at the level of national spatial policy, the methods of delimitation used thus far do not take into account the specificity of this phenomenon. Underestimating the extent of urban sprawl results in a lack of effectiveness of spatial policy due to the omission of specific areas in public intervention. This particularity is related to the fact that these are usually external areas—the most distant from the core city. These areas have the highest costs for urban sprawl. At the same time, these are areas in the early stages of spatial growth, in which a consistent spatial structure can still be kept while implementing proper spatial policy.

Spatiotemporal characteristics and driving forces of urban sprawl in China during 2003–2017

Abstract As for the academics and policymakers, more attention has been given to the issue on urban sprawl in China, while in-depth study at the national scale was relatively limited. Based on the 285 prefecture-level and above cities in China from 2003 to 2017, this paper has adopted the remote sensing derived data from the LandScan Global Population Database to examine the spatiotemporal characteristics of urban sprawl, and to investigate its driving forces among different sizes of cities at national and regional levels. The results revealed that small and medium-sized cities sprawled most significantly, followed by large cities, while mega cities sprawled the least. In addition, some new findings have been unearthed compared to the existing literature. For example, the siphon effect was greater than the spillover effect among different sizes of cities at the national scale, indicating that the competition of development resources has to some extent hindered the deterioration of urban sprawl in China; when the spatial heterogeneity was considered, the driving forces of urban sprawl exhibited differentiation among different regions and urban sizes. Furthermore, the spatial spillover effect of urban sprawl has exacerbated its intensity, which highlighted the importance and necessity of joint governance in space. The research concludes with future policy implications necessary for a more sustainable, compact, and coordinated urban development.

Assessment of urban sprawl effects on regional climate change using a hybrid model of factor analysis and analytical network process in the Mashhad city, Iran

BackgroundUrban sprawl, as an unsustainable urban expansion, relates to direct and indirect impacts on regional climate change in urbanized regions. In this paper, the effect of urban sprawl on regional climate change has been studied using a hybrid factor analysis (FA) and analytical network process (ANP) model in Mashhad city, Iran. The methodology was divided into two main parts based on the identification of 18 urban sprawl characteristics and six climatic parameters during three time-windows of 1996, 2006, and 2016.ResultsBased on the FA, a set of chosen sprawl characteristics were reduced into five factors with a maximized total variance of the loading variables and were weighted by ANP super-matrix. Results of urban sprawl index (USI) indicated that Mashhad city had experienced rapid horizontal growth by values from 0.47 to 1.74 within 1996–2016, revealing an indication of unsustainable urban sprawl during the last decades. Based on the correlation test, a positive relation between four climatic parameters (surface temperature, surface long-wave flux, total ozone, and black carbon density) and urban sprawl was observed (R from 0.827 to 0.981). In parallel, a negative relationship between two climatic parameters (total precipitation and convective precipitation) and urban sprawl was estimated (R from − 0.691 to − 0.805).ConclusionsThe result confirmed the possible effects of urban sprawl on climatic variations. This outcome relates to a chain of urban sprawl effects on growth of construction, transportation, the assumption of fuels and subsequently high emission of greenhouse gasses such as ozone concentration, long-wave flux, and carbon density in the urban atmosphere.

Spatiotemporal characterization of the urban sprawl and its impacts on urban island in China with DMSP/OLS and MODIS measurements

The rapid development of cities has led to the urban sprawl to the suburbs. Studies have shown that urban sprawl leads to the increasing intensity of heat island effect. This paper, based on the DMSP/OLS nighttime light data and the MODIS land surface temperature data during the years 2000, 2005, and 2013, discussed the spatial and temporal characteristics of urban sprawl, urban heat island intensity in China, and their relationship, respectively. The results show that (1) the national urban expansion index showed an upward trend. The urban area was 104,000 km2 in 2000, 169,000 km2 in 2005, and 312,000 km2 in 2013.The average annual growth rate was 10.2% in 2000–2005, 8% in 2000–2013, and 8.8% in 2000–2013. (2) The national heat island index also showed an upward trend; total heat island intensity was 716.73 °C in 2000, 812.84 °C in 2005, and 995.46 °C in 2013. The annual average growth rate was 2.55% in 2000–2005, 2.57% in 2005–2013, and 2.56% in 2000–2013. (3) There is a positive correlation between urban spatial expansion and heat island intensity in China. The urban and suburban range of China can be objectively extracted from the DMSP/OLS nighttime light data every year and superimposed with the MODIS land surface temperature data of the same period, which ensures the correctness of the urban heat island intensity based on the actual changes of suburban areas and main urban areas in each city, and overcomes the calculation error of the traditional method, which neglects that some suburbs have become urban areas and are still regarded as suburbs. These results provide spatiotemporal changes characterization of urban area in China during recent decades, which are helpful in decision-making of land management and planning for sustainable development.

Urban Sprawl Mapping and Land Use Change Detection Analysis

Hasty changes occurred in the land use and land cover of Coimbatore city corporation, Tamil Nadu within 32 years span (1984 - 2016). Agricultural and forest lands are mainly converted into urban areas generally in an unplanned way which is making a change in dynamics of urban sprawl characteristics. The principal aim of this study is to use remote sensing data, geospatial tools to detect, quantify, analyze the urban land use changes of Coimbatore city, located in the western part of the Tamil Nadu. This study emphases on urban growth analyses and urban sprawl of Coimbatore city. In 2016, the jurisdiction of the Coimbatore Corporation was increased from 72 to 100 wards and five zones which consist area of 365.74Sq.Km. The corporation limit was extended from 29.25Sq.Km. in 1984 to 365.74 Sq. Km. in 2016 which has a growth of 1150 percent area of 1984. Various GIS layers such as Ward, Zone, Corporation boundaries, Road and railway network, Waterbody, Stream, Major locations and Land use / land cover including built-up area; agricultural land; water bodies; industrial area; educational area, and Public & Semi-public area were generated from Coimbatore Corporation map and Remote sensing imagery. This study revealed that Land use/Land cover areas such as agricultural, commercial, educational, industrial, public and semi-public, residential areas and water bodies occupied 9.38, 2.20, 5.0, 3.1, 1.02, 77.37 and 1.93 percentage areas of the city respectively in the year 2016. Land use pattern change was confirmed by field verification study in some places like near Gandhipuram, Brooke Fields, Avinashi Road, etc.