Multisource Open Geospatial Big Data Fusion: Application of the Method to Demarcate Urban Agglomeration Footprints

Nelunika Priyashani, Nayomi Kankanamge and Tan Yigitcanlar ()
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Nelunika Priyashani: Department of Town and Country Planning, University of Moratuwa, Katubedda, Moratuwa 10400, Sri Lanka
Nayomi Kankanamge: Department of Town and Country Planning, University of Moratuwa, Katubedda, Moratuwa 10400, Sri Lanka
Tan Yigitcanlar: City 4.0 Lab, School of Architecture and Built Environment, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia

Land, 2023, vol. 12, issue 2, 1-23

Abstract: Urban agglomeration is a continuous urban spread and generally comprises a main city at the core and its adjoining growth areas. These agglomerations are studied using different concepts, theories, models, criteria, indices, and approaches, where population distribution and its associated characteristics are mainly used as the main parameters. Given the difficulties in accurately demarcating these agglomerations, novel methods and approaches have emerged in recent years. The use of geospatial big data sources to demarcate urban agglomeration is one of them. This promising method, however, has not yet been studied widely and hence remains an understudied area of research. This study explores using a multisource open geospatial big data fusion approach to demarcate urban agglomeration footprint. The paper uses the Southern Coastal Belt of Sri Lanka as the testbed to demonstrate the capabilities of this novel approach. The methodological approach considers both the urban form and functions related to the parameters of cities in defining urban agglomeration footprint. It employs near-real-time data in defining the urban function-related parameters. The results disclosed that employing urban form and function-related parameters delivers more accurate demarcation outcomes than single parameter use. Hence, the utilization of a multisource geospatial big data fusion approach for the demarcation of urban agglomeration footprint informs urban authorities in developing appropriate policies for managing urban growth.

Keywords: urban agglomeration; urban form; urban function; urban growth; urban footprint; sustainable urban development; smart urbanization; big data fusion; urban analytics; Sri Lanka (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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