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EVALUATION OF THE DYNAMIC OF URBAN MORPHOLOGICAL ZONES 
USING REMOTELY SENSED DATA 
M. Caetano and A. Navarro 
Centro Nacional de Informagáo Geográfica (CNIG) 
Edifício Inovagáo III-Sala 614, Tagus Park, 2780 Oeiras, Portugal 
Tel. 351-1-4219800, Fax: 351-1-4219856; e-mail: marioGcnig.pt 
Commission VII, Working Group 3 
KEY WORDS: Landuse maps, Urban areas, Urban morphological zones, Land cover change, 
Satellite data, Ancillary data, Contextual algorithms, Expert knowledge 
ABSTRACT 
A methodology for mapping Urban Morphological Zones (UMZs) based on Earth Observation 
(EO) data is presented and tested for two dates (1984 and 1995) in the Área da Grande 
Lisboa (1046 Km?), Portugal. 
EO data (SPOT and Landsat TM) and ancillary data were used to generate landuse maps for 
1984 and 1995 with the CLUSTERS nomenclature. The methodology for landuse mapping 
includes spectral classification at the pixel level and the use of contextual algorithms 
to identify landuse classes that cannot be identified at that level. Ancillary data were 
used to improve the landuse maps generated just by using satellite data. After the 
generation of the landuse map, we developed and applied an algorithm to identify the 
UMZs. An UMZ is an area that includes all the man made areas that are closer than 200 m 
to each other (EUROSTAT definition). 
In the final landuse maps, 25 classes were identified with an overall accuracy of 80%. 
Results also show that the developed methodology allows an accurate definition of UMZs. 
An analysis of the 1984 and 1995 UMZs maps show an expansion of the urban area of AGL, 
including new UMZs and the growth of some 1984 UMZs. 
by using Earth Observation (EO) data (SPOT 
1. INTRODUCTION and Landsat). 
Updated maps of built-up areas are The methodology used for UMZs delimitation 
important for landuse planning and decision entails the following steps: (1) generation 
making in regional areas. An important of landuse maps; (2) identification of the 
concept in urban planning is the Urban built-up areas and (3) delimitation of 
Morphological Zone (UMZ), which reveals the contiguous built-up areas. The most complex 
physical boundaries of urban areas. and difficult step is the generation of the 
According to EUROSTAT, an UMZ is an area landuse maps based on EO data. For this 
that includes all the man made areas that reason, most of our effort was allocated to 
are closer than 200 m to each other. the production of these maps. Note that the 
identification of built-up areas can be 
A very important information for landuse achieved by a simple reclassification of 
planning is the characterisation of the the landuse map and the identification of 
growth of urban areas within a given contiguous urban areas can be easily 
regional. area, i.e., a .study of the .UMZs achieved by the application of adequate 
dynamic. The study reported here is about algorithms within a Geographic Information 
the evaluation of the dynamic of the UMZs System (GIS) environment. 
in Área da Grande Lisboa (AGL), Portugal. 
The characterisation of the UMZs dynamic is For a long time that images acquired by 
based on the comparison of UMZs maps for satellites have been used for  landuse 
two dates (1984 and 1995) that were mapping, e.g. Ormsby (1992), He et al. 
generated, independently from one another, (1994), due to the low cost, periodic 
acquisition and coverage of large areas. 
International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXII, Part 7, Budapest, 1998 691