Land Use/Land Cover Data of the Urban Atlas and the Cadastre of Real Estate: An Evaluation Study in the Prague Metropolitan Region

Abstract

Landscape research involves a large number of scientific disciplines. Different disciplinary and scale approaches have led to the creation of numerous land use/land cover databases with different classification nomenclature. It is very important for end-users of databases to know the capabilities and limits of land use/land cover data to avoid potential mistakes resulting from inappropriate combinations and interpretations. In this context, the aim of this study was to evaluate the thematic content of the Urban Atlas database and data from the Czech cadastre of real estate in the Prague metropolitan region between the years 2006 and 2012 with a focus on the meaning of the nomenclature used by both datasets. The data were processed using approaches with different levels of thematic harmonisation and statistical tools to quantify the similarities and differences among the researched data. The methods of comparison used for land use/land cover data with different nomenclature were based on an aggregation approach or modified difference indices (the overall difference index and the sub-index of the difference). The areas with high degrees of dissimilarity and similarity were found and further examined and interpreted. These intentions were documented precisely on the Czech cadastre of real estate and the Urban Atlas databases at two scale levels: 1) an analysis of the whole area of the Prague metropolitan region and 2) a detailed analysis of the selected cadastral units. It was proven that the differences between both datasets are significant and they share certain characteristics. Most of the differences are distributed in the classes of the built-up areas, gardens, and other areas. Smaller differences are characteristic for waterways, agricultural lands, and forests. This study provides relevant information on the evaluated databases with the intention of raising awareness of their limits, strengths, and weaknesses. The results enhance the scientific knowledge about the Urban Atlas and Czech cadastre of real estate databases, thereby facilitating decision-making about the options of their use.

Random Forest Classification of Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) Using Sentinel-2 Data—A Case Study of Czechia

“…are used in the LULUCF categories involving forest land. However, according to many studies, e.g., [22,23], cadastral data are not able to reflect all changes in time that occur in the landscape and do not report them fully by the LULUCF classification nomenclature. Thus, the current LULUCF reporting has several weaknesses that affect the quality of the collected data.…”

Land Management in Territorial Planning: Analysis, Appraisal, Strategies for Sustainability—A Review of Studies and Research

“…GIS-based and statistical approaches were used in 6 of the 20 papers. The article "Land Use/Land Cover Data of the Urban Atlas and the Cadastre of Real Estate: An Evaluation Study in the Prague Metropolitan Region" by Micek et al [14] falls within landscape research and in particular the branch that studies land use. Relevant information is provided on real estate databases (such as that of the Land Registry) evaluated with the intention of increasing awareness of their limitations, strengths, and weaknesses, thus facilitating decision making on their use options.…”

A Comparative Analysis of Spatial Data and Land Use/Land Cover Classification in Urbanized Areas and Areas Subjected to Anthropogenic Pressure for the Example of Poland

“…Data on riparian zones, coastal zones, and Natura 2000 areas are also available [33]. A cadaster is a conventional and widely used source of information about land use, which is a public register of land, buildings, property owners, and tenants and cadaster data are widely used in land-use analyses [38][39][40]. In Poland, official sources of land-use data include the Database of Topographic Objects (DBTO10k) and the cadaster which is referred to as the Land and Building Register [41,42].…”

“…A single globally recognized land use classification system has not been developed to date, and various sources of land-use/land-cover data exist around the world. Land management has been investigated in multiple fields of science, and various approaches have been deployed in land-use structure analyses, which has led to the emergence of numerous land use classification systems [40]. The evolution of various land use/land cover classification systems has been driven by national and international initiatives, and these systems have been developed for various purposes, which is why they differ in nomenclature and specific attributes [43].…”