Land cover changes based on open spatial data - a case study

Abstract

Abstract Context Cities have been facing the problem of disappearance of open green areas in favor of built-up areas. There is a fragmentation of these areas and eventually their loss. In areas where the land surface is successively built upon, the risk of flooding and water scarcity increases, and in many places the phenomenon of urban heat island occurs.Objectives The aim of the work is to identify and determine the extent and rate of disappearance of green areas and to understand the nature of these changes. Another objective of the work was to test the usefulness open spatial resources for analyzing land cover change at a smaller scale.Methods These analyzes were performed using open spatial data from the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service. The data includes land use and land cover (LULC) derived from satellite imagery for functional urban areas (FUA). Three cities were selected from Katowice FUA (includes 58 municipalities) and the analyzes of GIS were conducted at this scale.Results Changes in land use in cities: Gliwice, Chorzów and Sosnowiec over a period of 6 and 12 years were analyzed. In addition, the suitability of the Copernicus resource for this scale of analysis was examined.Conclusions The study confirms the general trend of the disappearance of green spaces in favor of built-up areas. In addition, assessing the quality of open spatial data is crucial to ensure reliable analysis of land cover changes in order to properly manage these resources and improve the standard of living of residents.