ABSTRACT
Global urbanization is a phenomenon with a high impact on the environment and the society. However, precise worldwide information on the location and distribution of human settlements is lacking. The global urban footprint (GUF) aims at closing this information gap. The global data set, based on data of the EO satellites TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X, maps vertical man-made structures with a unique spatial resolution of 12 m. In five steps, the urban footprint map is fully automatic derived from the radar data. The resulting GUF shows settlement patterns of mega cities as well as rural areas. Urban areas over the whole globe are mapped with the same, comparable method. This allows for comparative analysis between cities, or the analysis of urbanization of rural areas. The GUF can be used as a source to derive spatial metrics, for example, supporting network analysis. When combined with population data, population density can be estimated. Especially in remote and underdeveloped regions of the Earth, where suitable geographical data are frequently scarce, the GUF adds valuable information.
