The (non)usefulness of the Register of Existing Agricultural and Forest Land Use for monitoring the processes in urban areas

Abstract

The changing of urban land use is the key indicator of spatial processes at work. The only systemic data source in Slovenia that can be employed to monitor land use changes is the Register of Existing Agricultural and Forest Land Use. The hypothesis that the Register is not suitable for monitoring urban land use changes was tested by comparing the data in the “built-up and related land” category for 2002, 2005, 2009, 2011, and 2013. The analysis was carried out at the level of Slovenia, and the results were interpreted in relation to small testing areas in NE Slovenia. We found that the methodology of data capture varied to such a degree that the data fail to reflect the actual changes in urban areas.

Keywords

• spatial planning
• land use
• urban land use
• spatial monitoring
• register of existing agricultural and forest land use
• slovenia