Urban Footprint Processor—Fully Automated Processing Chain Generating Settlement Masks From Global Data of the TanDEM-X Mission

Abstract

The German TerraSAR-X add-on for Digital Elevation Measurement (TanDEM-X) mission (TDM) collects two global data sets of very high resolution (VHR) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images between 2011 and 2013. Such imagery provides a unique information source for the identification of built-up areas in a so far unique spatial detail. This letter presents the novel implementation of a fully automated processing system for the delineation of human settlements worldwide based on the SAR data acquired in the context of the TDM. The proposed Urban Footprint Processor (UFP) includes three main processing stages dedicated to: i) the extraction of texture information suitable for highlighting regions characterized by highly structured and heterogeneous built-up areas; ii) the generation of a binary settlement layer (built-up, non-built-up) based on an unsupervised classification scheme accounting for both the original backscattering amplitude and the extracted texture; and iii) a final post-editing and mosaicking phase aimed at providing the final Urban Footprint (UF) product for arbitrary geographical regions. Experimental results assess the high potential of the TDM data and the proposed UFP to provide highly accurate geo-data for an improved global mapping of human settlements.

Open Street Map Data as Source for Built-Up and Urban Areas on Global Scale

“…In (Esch et al, 2013), the publication of a global "urban footprint" with a resolution of 12m and of a public domain version downscaled to 50 to 75m are announced (and currently expected for mid-2016). We plan a systematic comparison with these datasets.…”

“…Some few examples are the usage of Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) data (Bhatti & Tripathi, 2014), the extraction from Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection (ASTER) radiometer data (Miyazaki et al, 2014), and the use of Landsat TM/ETM+ images (Zhang et al, 2014). One recent effort in this field is the derivation of the so-called "urban footprint" from SAR imagery in the context of the TanDEM-X radar mission (Esch et al, 2013) (Marconcini et al, 2014).…”

“…Prominent examples are standard street maps and topographical maps using such areas for visualization purposes (Nivala et al, 2008) as well as analyses about population development or land consumption (Esch et al, 2013).…”

Reviews of Geospatial Information Technology and Collaborative Data Delivery for Disaster Risk Management

“…Although this feature is useful for any phase of DRM, it is especially useful for planning purposes. Although satellite remote sensing can be used to observe physical characteristics of the land surface, several studies have developed socioeconomic datasets relevant to vulnerability assessment, such as urban expansion [32,33], population [34], and gross domestic product (GDP) [35,36], by using a combination of satellite-based data and socioeconomic statistics.…”

Operational Built-Up Areas Extraction for Cities in China Using Sentinel-1 SAR Data

“…Some urban extraction attempts have also been made on a global scale using SAR data. The recent release of the global urban footprint (GUF) [30] from TerraSAR-X measurements by the German Soace Afency (DLR) is paving the way for a new generation of urban remote sensing products. To evaluate ENVISAT SAR data for global urban mapping, one study [31] developed the KTH-Pavia Urban Extractor to effectively extract urban areas and small towns using ENVISAT ASAR 30 m data.…”