sen under-
1 photography
authorities
s, and several
ourage usage
est advantage.
rent scales of
mapping it at
00 and 1:10000
at scales of
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ire Metropolitan
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t such as city
ent, In all
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unction. For
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)00 scale
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able town
ation experience
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ptis and
that of open
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s research is
ort buildings
lways, and open
aces of parks
sion and main-
to the socio
hem, Initially
ck and white
(1975) of the
pace data.
rent years, the
e vegetation
of imagery.
It has been found that whilst both types of photography can be successfully
used for determining the function (i.e. type) of open space, the false
colour photography is superior for assessing the condition or maintenance
level of the sites. This is because the type, amount and condition of
vegetation cover, which are all functions of maintenance, are more readily
seen on false colour imagery. :
Eleven study areas, each of 0.25 km2, have been selected within the County
and each has been divided into 625 smaller units of 20m x 20m. Data
have been obtained from the false colour photography for each unit and
the results computer processed for statistical compilation. In addition,
a CALCOMP plotter is being used to produce digital maps showing the
spatial distribution of the various types and conditions of open space.
An example of an early digital map is shown in Figure 2.
Although this stage of the work is in its infancy, there is an indication
that areas of low socio-enconomic status have a deficiency in planned open
space and that that which does occur is poorly managed. This is because
most open space has resulted from urban clearance of old housing stock
and derelict buildings. In areas of high socio-economic status, however,
there is better provision of well maintained open space which largely
takes the form of private gardens.
Analysis of the urban environment is also being conducted in another
current project which is centered on Preston, Lancashire. Vertical black
and white photography of 1:1000 scale has been examined for 1961 and
1971 in order to map the change in the extent of the built environment
over that ten year period. The data are then being compared with popul-
ation structure, So far it has been found that the urban form has
increased in area during 1961-1971 but that the population has declined
in the same time. The reasons for this apparent anomaly are now being
examined.
Derelict land and waste disposal studies
One of the problems facing the United Kingdom as an industrial nation is
the large area of land, buildings and installations left detelict after
the decline of traditional industries such as mining and metal smelting.
This problem manifests itself socio-economically in unemployment and
population migration away from old industrial settlements, and environ-
mentally in the visual and physical degradation of the landscape. The
situation is compounded by pressures to develop the landscape since in
its untreated form, derelict land is a wasted land resource. The ideal
solution is to reclaim such areas and to put them to beneficial use so
that "virgin" agricultural land need not be further encroached upon by
the developers.
In order to reclaim, however, data are required concerning the type,
location, amount and nature of the dereliction, In this context research
in the Remote Sensing Unit has been conducted into the potential use of
aerial photography as a prime data source. One project, for example, has
examined the use of 1:5000 scale black and white photography (taken in
1971) covering the old county of Glamorgan, Wales, prior to local govern-
ment reorganization in April 1974. The use of such photograph for
interpretation purposes has already been discussed in previous proceedings
(Gibson 1974), and it is sufficient to state here that the imagery was
used with great success, even though the large number of photograph which
