- Inventorying (un)built areas based on very high resolution satellite imagery, A quality controlled, integrated methodology adapted to Flanders' land planning and management policy

Context and objectives

The project makes use of very high resolution (VHR) satellite data and of the digital geographical data owned by OC GIS Vlaanderen. This proposal aims at in depth generation of thematic geo-information while at the same time transferring technical know how. More specifically the objectives can be summarised as follows:
- The construction of a thematic map of the built up area in selected study areas using VHR satellite imagery. This map will result from manual as well as semi-automatic image classification procedures. An analysis of errors will be performed for the semi-automatic classification and a validation will be made by comparison with the results of the manual method of photo-interpretation;
- The linking of these data to individual cadastral parcels using GIS operations as an alternative to the current procedure of inventorying the build-up parcels in residential areas applied by the individual communities;
- Extracting information from the images that is useful to the thematic partners e.g. the density of buildings and scale related properties in urban areas.

This project has as a further specific goal the promotion of the use of satellite remote sensing data in regional and local governmental planning departments.