A Global Inventory of Urban Corridors Based on Perceptions and Night-Time Light Imagery

Abstract

The massive growth of some urban areas has led to new constellations of urban forms. New concepts describing large urban areas have been introduced but are not always defined and mapped sufficiently and consistently. This article describes urban corridors as an example of such a concept with an ambiguous spatial definition. Based on the existing usage of the concept in scientific literature and the results of a questionnaire, we attempt to spatially parameterize and identify the main characteristics of urban corridors on a global scale. The parameters we use are physically measurable and therefore serve as a basis for a harmonized and scientifically sound mapping of urban corridors using remote sensing data and methods. Our results are presented in a global urban corridor map.

Keywords

• urban corridors
• large urban areas
• urban mapping
• global urban mapping
• remote sensing
• night-time lights
• urban area mapping
• OpenStreetMap