ABSTRACT
Urban green is a key structural element of urban well-being and quality of urban life. In this chapter, we discuss strategies to map both quantitative and qualitative parameters of urban green and its representation, perception, and valuation by citizens. We show how objects of urban green infrastructure can be extracted from remote sensing imagery, based on spectral and structural characteristics, and how qualitative attributes can be added in order to move from structural green classes to uniform valuation units of green structures. We also illustrate the added value of including height and volumetric information to better represent the visual impression of urban green. In this respect, Earth observation (EO) and spatial analysis coupled with qualitative survey-based assessments increase the capacity to address specific aspects of urban green beyond the discrimination of functional land use classes. The geographic focus is on Central Europe with a range of studies carried out in the city of Salzburg, Austria, in the frame of a longer-term monitoring endeavor using very high resolution satellite data in 5-year intervals. The chapter demonstrates the potential of EO satellite data to tackle the challenges of urban green planning and monitoring by combining innovative with repeatable solutions.
