ABSTRACT
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This need is driven by continued urbanization and global climate change. Although currently urbanized land only covers approximately 2% of global land area, more than half of the world population (3.3 billion people) lives in the urban environment. By 2030, urbanized areas will expand to provide homes for 81% of the world population, according to the United Nations, and most of the population growth will be in developing countries. The number of megacities, which is defined as cities with population of over 10 million, will increase to 100 by 2025 (as compared to 25 today). Thus, there is a critical need to understand urban areas to help improve and foster the environmental and human sustainability of cities around the world (Weng and Quattrochi, 2006a).
